Hope's Howl
by Cocoon02
Summary: Their fates are bound by a curse, a curse put in place decades ago. Will they be able to overcome it? Or is destiny's pull too strong?
1. Snowfall

**Author's Note:** Hi! It's me again! So, this fic is a little...different. Well, for me, anyway. This is probably as far from canon as I've ever gone, so brace yourselves.

The idea, and plot, and, well...everything but the actual writing part, was made up by my fabulous friend, _Avid Vampire Hunter_! (Bleach fans should totally check her out, and she's even dabbled in a little 13 fanfiction). So if you love this story, it's her fault. If you hate it, it's mine. Any and all failures should be blamed on me. Because as any repeat readers will know, I suck.

But you didn't come here for an author's note, did you? Didn't think so. Time for the story!

* * *

Prologue

It was generations ago - three to be precise. Three generations since one of destiny's fragile, ever-weaving threads was stiffened so that all others attached to it could never break free. Their fate was sealed.

This thread was pulled taut by a curse. One that was fueled by an intense hatred and love combined. So powerful was the hold on the thread that the only way for the others to be free was to break, and thus be destroyed.

One who is capable of possessing knowledge of such things as fate and destiny could follow the unfortunate threads, and find that some shatter along the way, and one becomes strangled in the grasp of another. They would see a truly epic tale, but feel copious amounts of pity for those involved.

Every being has a story, whether their thread be hard-bound by fate, or free to flow and drift as they please.

Every story was an ending, be it a happily-ever-after, or a deep well of pain.

Twelve threads are cursed to their fate.

However.

Their story has yet to be written.

* * *

Chapter One - Snowfall

There lived in the wilds of Gran Pulse, a great silver wolf. From his paws to his ears, he stood at about the size of an average human, making him much taller and heavier than the rest of his kind. He was vicious let logical, something one need only look into his ocean eyes to understand.

However, no human ever got that close. All they ever saw was a glimpse of his tail, a flash of white as he sprinted past, or the remains of his last meal. One man spun a tale of the beast attacking him and his flock of sheep, but since all the animals were accounted for and he had not an injury to show, no one believed him.

The superstitious believed the wolf to be a ghost, some kind of spirit, perhaps a guardian of some sort. The realists didn't think the animal actually existed, otherworldly or otherwise. Those who bothered to argue their point said it was merely a figment, a mirage, nothing more.

The silver wolf was mostly unaware of what the humans called him, and he didn't care. The name his mother had given him was Hope, that was the only name that mattered to him, though he hadn't gone by it in years. He hadn't gone by anything.

He breathed in a lungful of the frigid air attempting to get past his thick fur, and noted that it would soon snow. The frequency of his meals would be decreasing rapidly.

Another whiff located potential food. Small, but everything was small to him. Ahead. Unaware.

His massive paws made nary a sound as he followed the scent. Another reason some thought him a ghost; he had mastered silence.

He crept up on his prey, perhaps the size of a fox. He slipped noiselessly between the foliage, and prepared himself. The animal wouldn't feel a thing.

His ears pricked as someone less careful rustled some leaves. His eyes remained locked on his prey, but his ears listened, and his nose sniffed.

Another wolf. Female.

_Oh, no._

It took a few more silent steps before he saw her. Just as he'd thought. She had sandy fur, and excited blue eyes. Less than half his size, she was small, even for a normal wolf. This wasn't the first time she'd happened upon his hunt. In fact, he'd begun to think she was following him. She didn't seem to belong to a pack, at least.

That was when she saw him. Though if his theory was correct, that's what she wanted it to look like. Her eyes said:

"This one's mine, old man."

He was half-tempted to bark and scare off the potential meat, but that would be signing up for whatever game she thought they were playing. Instead, he made like he was going to pounce.

She shot out of her hiding place with pup-like grace. She wasted time stumbling over nothing, and her prize scrambled away.

_Sloppy._

Still, she chased.

He watched her until she was no longer in range of any of his senses. He gave a huff in her general direction, and tasted the air one more time. He picked up on nothing but birds and rodents, not worth worrying about.

A ray of sunlight fell into his eye, and he instinctively jerked away. He shook his head to reorient his sight, stepping forward as he did so. Heat built up in his nose, and he sneezed. He stomped his front left paw- the solitary black patch of fur on his body - before shaking his head again.

The position of the sun was just beginning to paint the sky with the warm colors of dusk. The great wolf took note of this, and began his journey.

On the whole of the planet, there was but one man who had seen more than a fleeting glimpse of the wolf. In fact, this man often had conversations with the beast, one-sided though they may have been.

The man also knew that the silver animal had not always been so, but a silver-haired boy.

It had been thirteen years since his untimely transformation. Or - as his friends and family thought - his death. Only the man knew what really happened to him. The wolf wasn't quite sure how, but the man had more than once shown mystical abilities, so he didn't question it.

The wolf always made sure to keep no more than a few hours away from his human "friend". He pumped his powerful legs into a sprint, flattening his ears. When he was young, he dared never run anywhere aside from an open field, dared never willingly dull his hearing. But he wasn't afraid anymore. He hadn't met anything that posed a threat to him in the radius he allowed himself to wander. He himself was the only threat.

The sun continued it's decent as he flew through the landscape. He raced the colors dripping across the sky, finding excitement in his speed and freedom in the wind. He knew he'd never miss his pathetic human legs, capable of only a fraction of what he could do now.

He didn't slow until he caught the scent of several humans in the air. He panted as his body tried to compensate for the sudden excess of oxygen, he pricked up his ears again and made a beeline for the most separated structure, a path he'd taken countless times before.

The closer he got, the more sparse cover became. He hugged the treeline as best he could, but eventually had to break free from it's protection.

His human acquaintance lived in a village that hadn't quite moved from the label "primitive". The homes teetered somewhere between huts and cabins. It wasn't large enough to bother with roads, but well-worn dirt paths had been beaten by their fragile feet. They hunted as everyone else, but used much more short-range weapons.

They also didn't care for wolves.

He never came during the day, to reduce the risk of being spotted. The man had warned him many times that he _would_ be hunted if seen, because such a large wolf would be immediately pegged as a danger.

So he wasn't seen.

As he approached, something small and cold landed on his nose. He glanced up and saw that the snow clouds had caught up with the village. He paused for a minute or so, during which time the snowfall became visible without concentration. He predicted several inches by the next morning.

Flickering firelight came through the window of the man's house, glinting off of the falling snowflakes. The wolf walked up to the window, and saw one more person than he was expecting.

Intrigued, he went to the door and thumped his blackened paw against it, scratching with his claws on the way down. He may have been an animal, but he still retained his human manners.

The man's deep voice could be heard from inside. The wolf sat back on his haunches and patiently waited for the door to be opened.

He didn't have to wait very long.

"Ah, welcome."

* * *

**10 pointless points to anyone who can figure out who the she-wolf represents.**

**I now subject myself to your criticism. I must request that any straight-up hate be kept out of the reviews, but constructive criticism is totally appreciated. If you hate this, just walk away.**

**More positively, the next chapter is already underway, and I hope you want to continue reading! :)**


	2. A Refreshingly One-Sided Conversation

**Author's** **Note**: It appears that the 10 pointless points are still up for grabs. The she-wolf comes back later, so there's time to figure out who she's supposed to be.

Anyway, some actual stuff is about to happen. Yay!

* * *

Chapter Two - A Refreshingly One-Sided Conversation

The man stepped aside and gestured for the wolf to enter his home. He stood at perhaps roughly a foot and a half taller than the beast. He was well built with very defined features, and a unique hair color: deep purple. His face was cold yet kind, with dark eyes that seemed to pierce the soul. He was the only human the wolf had "spoken" to in over a decade.

Fur sprinkled with snow - not that one would notice - he padded inside. Warmth from the fire burning in the corner fireplace washed over him, and he sighed.

"Oh!" Came a second voice. The wolf followed his nose to the source.

A girl. She sat off to the side, in one of the two chairs the household contained. Her very green eyes were wide with fear, and for a moment he wondered why. Then he remembered. He let his tail droop and settled into a bare spot on the floor, trying to look as non-deadly as possible.

The man laughed. "There's no need to be afraid, my dear. My friend here won't hurt you."

The beast studied the girl. Her scent was soft, like flowers. Her hair was a bright pink-orange, pulled into two pigtails, with bangs swept to the side. She had a friendly face, despite her fearfulness. She was clothed in winter furs, and he decided not to question where exactly those furs came from. Her eyes held his attention the longest, like fresh spring grass they were.

"Y-your friend?" She stammered.

The man chuckled. "Yes. We have known each other for many years." He took his place in the other chair and added lightly, "However, I do all the talking."

The girl did not appear comforted by the attempt at a joke, nor by the man's casual behavior. She worked with several beaded necklaces she wore around her throat, twisting the beads between her delicate fingers.

Her human companion noticed as well. "You yourself are well acquainted with the creature's stories, though most _are_ merely stories."

Her grass eyes changed their message from fear to intrigue, though her hand stayed on her jewelry. "I-is it really the ghost?"

"Why don't you ask?"

The girl's discomfort of the situation visibly increased as she swallowed and crossed her legs at the ankles. She stared at the wolf, but didn't look him in the eye. She kept her gaze on his large paws, possibly afraid of angering him if she looked at him directly.

"A-are you the wolf?" She asked. "From the stories?"

He lowered his head toward his paws, almost forcing her to make eye contact, and nodded.

She practically jumped to the roof of the house. "It-"

"Understands you?" The man finished. "Yes, and very well, I assure you."

"Wow..."

"Indeed." The man stood, brushing off his clothes, and reached for a heavy coat which hung from the wall. "The fire is dying, I will go get more wood." He went to the door, but stopped before opening it. "There's some food in that bowl there the 'ghost' might appreciate." Snow soon filled in the space where he'd stood.

The girl shivered to counteract the sudden rush of cold air, while the wolf himself barely felt a thing. She appeared extremely distressed to be left alone with an animal as big as she was. The wolf glanced at the bowl the man had referred to, and took a great big sniff. Mean, relatively fresh. The man must've known he was coming.

The girl followed his gaze and seemed to be contemplating getting it for him. He'd let her decide. He could get it himself if she was too afraid. He rested his head on his paws, and stared into the increasingly feeble fire.

She decided to be brave. Her boots clunked lightly on the wooden floor as she retrieved his meal. She set it in front of him and backed off again, and it looked like she felt much safer in the chair.

The wolf ate gratefully, finding the idea of being fed by humans slightly ironic, yet nostalgic at the same time. He swallowed both meal and memory.

The girl watched him for a little while. He noticed that her eyes traced his entire body. He knew she was just trying to comprehend his size, but it made him uncomfortable. No one had ever looked at him like that before.

He focused on the food. Until she spoke, that is.

"Everyone made up the stories about you, but I bet yours are much more interesting."

He looked up at her. The fear in her eyes was gone, replaced by curiosity. She looked more innocent that way.

_My stories? You'd never believe me, even if I could tell you._

"You have a name, don't you? A real one?"

Nod.

"I thought as much." She glanced at a window, from which they could both see the snowfall getting thicker. She continued, "My name's Vanille."

Vanille. It stuck out to him, the strange tones of her accent making it all the more appealing to his ears. Why?

_It's a nice name._

Snow flew in again as the man returned. Slightly frozen, with several logs a burden in his arms. He quickly rekindled the fire, muttering to himself, something inaudible. When he was finished, he stood, and said to Vanille, "It's getting worse. You should head home before we're all buried."

"Sure." She answered. She began to leave, but only took a few steps. "I have a question." She said.

"Ask away." The man replied.

"This wolf...does it have a name?"

He nodded. "Hope."

"Hope?" Vanille looked confused. "So, is it a girl?"

Hope huffed.

The man chuckled. "Ah, you've offended him."

Vanille glanced at the wolf apologetically. "Oh, I'm sorry!"

_It's okay._

"You really should be going." The man insisted. "In fact, I shall escort you. I don't want you getting lost in this weather."

"All right." Her eyes found the wolf again, but this time he wasn't sure what he read there. She left when the man opened his door for her, and he stared after her.

"You know you are welcome to stay, my friend. But you are just as welcome to leave."

Hope looked up at him, and followed Vanille out. However, that was all the further he followed. He headed back to his trees, to a safe place to think. A lot had just happened. He'd met another human, friendly and curious, rather that cold and bloodthirsty. Not that any of them were remotely a threat. His name had been spoken, his real name. The name he generally chose to forget. It was odd. It was all so odd.

Somehow, though, he felt like he was supposed to meet her. Vanille. He'd been tempted to stay with her, just until she got home, just to make sure she was safe. Why?

He shook the thoughts out of his head, and beat himself a bed in the snow, underneath a tree. He knew he'd likely be covered by the time he woke, but he didn't anticipate sleeping for very long.

Never quite managing to quell his thoughts, he eventually fell asleep, the soft scent of flowers dancing in his nose.

* * *

**No, this is not a love-at-first-sight thing.**

**Now that that's out of the way, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Just like last time, I'm already making progress on the next chapter, so it should hopefully be up on schedule.**

**What do you think so far?**


	3. Warm Company

**Author's Note:** The 10 pointless points can now be awarded! Congrats to _Airhead259 _for figuring it out! ^_^ The other wolf represents Alyssa. Irritating, sandy fur, blue eyes, I thought it was a bit obvious, haha. I don't know, maybe I'm alone, but I really don't like her. Just, ugh. Like when she goes, "_Director_," I just cringe. No words.

Anyway, thanks for the reviews (and favs and follows)! Avi and I are glad you guys are enjoying the story so far! Hopefully you continue to enjoy it, as we continue...

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Chapter Three - Warm Company

Hope woke with the sun, and shrugged several inches of snow off of his back. Everything was covered, and the trees that still had leaves had lost a great majority. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes, and the world came into focus.

He forced himself to stand and violently shook off the rest of the snow. He startled a bird from it's perch, which squawked at him as it flew away. Just a typical fall morning.

He tasted for food, but there was nothing. That was fine with him, he didn't want to hunt at the moment, what he wanted...

He wanted to go back. To the village.

His desire's origins were unknown to him. He knew that he wanted to see Vanille again, but he didn't know why. No, that wasn't right. He didn't want to, he _had_ to. He wouldn't be able to rightly focus until he saw her. He just...needed to check on her.

His legs began taking him there. He tromped through the thick blanket of snow, crushing most of it and displacing the rest. It wouldn't take too long to go back.

_This is stupid. I barely know her name. What am I doing?_

But he didn't stop.

He stayed within the safe borders of the trees. During the day, the village was full of activity, so he had to stay back. Thought, from where he was, the people looked no larger than mice. He kept an eye out for Vanille's brilliant hair color, but had no luck spotting her.

He kept up his vigil for days, watching the village. Seeing but not seeing because she never passed into his sight.

Until she did. She returned once more to the man's house, thought for what purpose, he didn't know.

After minimal deliberation, he decided to take a risk. He crept from his position to a place by the door. From there, he could hear voices, but not individual words. He could've went in, but he couldn't seem to work up the nerve. Instead, he laid down like a domesticated guard dog.

Perhaps an hour or so later, Vanille came back of the house. However, Hope was so alert that he nearly didn't notice. She practically tripped over him, her coat temporarily taking his sight. Her flowery smell invaded his nostrils before she righted herself.

"Sorry!" She apologized.

He sneezed.

Later that evening, back in the depths of his snow-drowned woods, Hope caught a glimpse of his clumsy young stalker. Her tanned fur stood out against the white snow, even in the dimming light. As she swerved in between the sleeping trees, he concluded that she was heading for him.

It seemed that it was time for round two.

He stood at his full height and waited for her. At this juncture, pretending to play along with her game was the quickest to get rid of her. Whatever her angle was, he could handle a little girl.

She approached cockily, as if she knew what she was getting into, and felt prepared for it. Curious. She soon stood before him, head, tail, and ears held high. He read no hostility, but she could be quite the actress.

He looked down at her, glaring dangerously. If she wanted to mess with him, she had no idea what he was capable of.

_Your move, kid._

She extended her paws forward and lowered her chest into the chest, the way a cub does when they want to play. He flicked his ears to convey annoyance.

She understood, and stood back up. Her little black nose twitched as she sniffed. She paused for a few moments before beginning again. Her ears flattened, and a growl started in her throat. She glanced behind him, toward the village.

He wasted precious time trying to figure out what she smelled. It was Vanille, it had to be, and she didn't like it. He made this realization just in time to sidestep in her way. His hackles raised and he bared his teeth, releasing a snarl that would scare the piss out of a behemoth. She yelped and tried to sun around him, but he blocked her path again. He took a heavy step toward her and growled.

_This is how I play._

She let out a pathetic whimper and made a one-eighty, sprinting as fast as her short legs could take her.

Hope barked after her, a warning to stay away. For some reason, she was enraged by Vanille's scent. He saw the lust for blood in her eyes. The younger wolf had it in her head that Vanille was prey. And she had the scent.

Did he perceive her as a threat? No. But that didn't stop him from heading back to his post at the village, as snow clouds rolled in overhead.

* * *

"_Awroooooo!_"

Hope jolted awake, once again covered in snow. But this time, he didn't bother to shake it off. On high alert, his eyes attempted to see through the thick frozen water falling heavily from the pitch-black sky, and his ears tried to hear through the curtain of silence. His heart prayed to anyone who would listen that he was wrong.

"_Awrooooooooo!_"

He rose as fast as his icy limbs would allow, and stumbled quickly through the ridiculous snow on the ground. The village. It came from the village. The howl of death. Had she done it? Had she actually-?

He pushed himself faster. No.

The snow thickened so that he didn't notice he had entered the village until he'd nearly smacked into a house. He used the light from that one to find the next, and the next, searching desperately for the soft smell of flowers. He didn't even care if anyone noticed him. If she was inside, then she was fine, and he could write this off as paranoia.

_Please._

Several times he lost his way, lead astray by a house with no light, or one that was too far away from the previous one. Eventually the wind became so strong that he couldn't hear anything else. It got harder to move as the snow piled up, and the wind pushed against him.

_Please._

He tried to go on, but collapsed against the nearest house. It was hopeless. He wouldn't get anywhere in this weather.

It seemed he had collapsed against the door, because it opened, and he tumbled inside. He had no idea where he'd ended up until the door was forced shut.

"Are you okay?"

He forced his frozen lids open, and looked up at her. She had her hair down this time.

"You must be freezing... Come over here." She crossed the house to the fireplace, which was on the opposite wall. Breathing heavily, he followed her, flopping down in front of the dancing flames.

_I'm so glad you're okay._

"What are you doing here?" She asked, sitting where he could see her. "You don't know when this will end. You could've gotten lost out there for days." She paused. "Well, you're safe now."

The fire quickly melted his snow-spun fur, which then clung to his thawing body. Water droplets dripped from his nose as he looked up at her. She looked back, and for a little while, they just stared.

After a few minutes, she loosened one of her hands. It lay still on her leg, but he somehow knew she wanted to pet him. Which he left was slightly absurd, but he _was_ a large furry animal.

He raised his nose toward her and flicked his ears, hopefully conveying that she had permission. She seemed to understand, because she hesitantly reached out her hand. He met her halfway.

Hope blinked.

* * *

**Keeping with the pattern, I'm already working on the next chapter. *evil cackle***

**Thoughts?**


	4. A Curse Covered In Fur

Chapter Four - A Curse Covered In Fur

_It was his fourteenth birthday. His mother had given him a reprieve from his chores, so he'd spent the entire day out at the lake with his friends. Burnt and satisfyingly tired, he'd returned home for dinner to find that his father had actually made an effort to make it in on time for once. They had a real family meal, consisting of some of his favorite foods. He'd gone to bed that night with a smile on his face. It had been a perfect day._

_But night was a different story._

_He woke in the middle of the night with a splitting headache. He clutched his head in his hands, as if that would help, but something was off. He looked at his hands only to discover that they didn't so much resemble hands as they did...paws. He choked on a scream as he checked the rest of him. His feet were halfway through the transition, too. His ears were higher up than they should've been, becoming pointed at the tops, and his nose was flattening. He was slowly being covered in...fur. What was happening?_

_He still didn't scream as white-hot pain shot down his spine, forcing him to curl backwards. He was drenched in sweat by the time he collapsed back onto his bed. He panted, trying to slow down his galloping heart. He didn't realize it until much later, but he was more confused than scared. Maybe even a little intrigued._

_He felt as though his ribs were snapping outwards, one by one. Breathing became impossible, constricted and setting a bomb off in his chest every time he tried. Soon he felt life being taken from him, and rolled over on his side, painfully waiting for death._

* * *

_"Hope? Hope, please."_

_He forced open his heavy eyes, and his first thought was that he wasn't in pain anymore. His second was that his first thought wasn't the issue._

_"Oh, sweetie, you're awake."_

_His mother's voice was very calm, but there was a tightness to it that scared him. He worked all the muscles in his body to make sure they were functioning properly, and they were, but his heart sunk as he noted other things. He was completely rearranged, he was heavier than before. And...he had a tail._

_He figured out his new limbs enough to get off of his side. However, he fell clumsily onto the floor. He huffed in surprise, and scrambled to his paws, claws digging into his bedroom floor._

_He went to his mother and sat down in front of her. He stared at her as she knelt to his new level, taking his transformed face in her hands._

_"I'm sorry, Hope. I should've told you, but I didn't want to believe it."_

_He whined his confusion, wishing he could talk to her._

_His mother ran one hand down his head and through his fur. "There's this story - well, more of a legend - about our family. It started way back with your great-great grandmother. The legend says that she was cursed, so that her first male descendant would become, well, you know." She sighed. "I was so scared when you were born, that it was true, that it was you._

_"But now we know. It is true."_

_Hope placed his left paw - which for some reason was covered in black fur - on his mother's knee, and whined again. He didn't understand. Why didn't anybody tell him? Why was he like this?_

_"I know, sweetie, it's a lot to take in." She paused. "But there is one more thing. According to the story, you're supposed to protect someone. I don't know who, I don't know why. That part has been lost over the years. But I know you can do it, you're smart, you'll figure it out." Suddenly, his mother hugged him. She took a deep breath and whispered one last time, "I'm sorry."_

* * *

Hope blinked.

Vanille cautiously moved her hand farther up his head, and started petting him. Something in him clicked as she began to scratch behind his ears.

It was her. She was the one, the one he had been cursed to protect. That was why he'd felt the need to make sure she was safe. The desire to do so became stronger at the realization. Whatever the reason, he was bound to her, and he would do what needed to be done.

One great big gust of wind rattled the house, and Vanille froze. She glanced around in several different directions before standing. She grabbed a bucket from somewhere near him that must have contained water, because she put out the fire with it.

"Sorry if you're still cold," she said, "but I don't want my house to burn down." She crossed over to what looked like a large pile of blankets, and began to organize them. "Maybe the storm will be over in the morning." She turned back to him. "Go ahead and stay if you want."

The still-damp wolf was grateful for her offer, on multiple levels.

He slept at the foot of her bed that night.

* * *

Hope woke the next morning when the sun feebly poked at his eyelids. He yawned silently, and still half-asleep, glanced out the window. Most of the heavy clouds from the night before had blown away with the wind, leaving patches of blue behind. He vaguely wondered how late it was, but didn't really care that much. He yawned again as he stood and shook out his stiffness.

"Morning!" He heard Vanille say.

He smelled what she was cooking before he saw her. Eggs of some sort. The smell reminded him of home, and his heart clenched.

Oddly enough, his stomach growled at the same time.

Vanille giggled. "Sounds like you're hungry, huh? Here." She tipped some egg onto a plate for him, and set it on the floor. "I know it's not much, but it's warm, and I needed to cook these before they went bad."

Hope sniffed them out of habit before scooping them up into his mouth. They tasted like home, too.

Vanille didn't say anything more as she finished cooking and eating her eggs. Hope just watched her. When she was done, she gathered up both of their plates and put them on her little table, presumably to clean later. She put out the small fire she'd made, and began to bundle up. As soon as she'd done so, she headed for the door.

"I need to dig myself out." She explained.

The great silver wolf decided to help her, and followed her outside, not caring who saw him.

* * *

**Cut! **

**The non-flashback parts were short, I know.**

**So now you know a bit about what's going on with Hope. This is just the tip of the iceberg, believe me, but I can't let you in on the rest of it. At least...not yet... *evil laugh***

**Significant progress has been made on chapter five already, so hopefully I won't break my streak of giving you a new chapter every week.**

**So, what do you think?**


	5. Blood On A White Blanket

**Author's Note:** Aaaannnndddd plot!

* * *

Chapter Five - Blood On A White Blanket

It had been a week since the blizzard, and Hope had hardly left Vanille's side. She'd managed to convince the rest of the village - or at least most of them - that he wasn't a danger to them. It probably helped that he followed her like a puppy rather than a hunter. He still received apprehensive or even fearful looks from some of the villagers, but he didn't care that much.

He didn't see the man at all the entire week he spent with Vanille. His house sat visible in the distance, but it appeared that he never left.

That day, Vanille expressed a desire to take a walk in the woods. Hope didn't think much about it, because she was working. But once she had finished, she headed off toward the trees. He followed her - of course - huffing. He wasn't so sure it was a good idea.

"I do this all the time." She insisted. "And besides, I have you to protect me."

_That's my job._

They soon left her village behind, buried in the shroud of trees. Hope kept his senses on high, for once a bit nervous about the other creatures hidden throughout the sleeping woods. Of course, there were many they didn't have to worry about, accounting for the winter, but there were still hunters out there.

As they tromped through the still thick blanket of snow that coddled the frozen ground, vanilla talked to him. She spoke to him as though he were another human, and a close friend. She spoke of her childhood, how she'd been alone for most of her life, and how she was glad to have a companion, even one who couldn't talk.

He wanted to tell her that he felt the same way, though clearly to a different degree. He had grown accustomed to not seeing a friendly living thing for extended periods of time. He hadn't had a real conversation since his birthday, all those years ago. He wanted to tell her, but as she'd said, he couldn't speak. Not in her language, anyway.

Time passed, and the stories continued. In face, that may have been a bad thing. After a while, Hope realized that he didn't recognize the area they were in. If it weren't for their footprints, he didn't think he'd know how to get back. She'd wandered him out of his radius.

He began to get nervous, and took a deep whiff of the air, just in case. He flattened his ears, and stopped in his tracks. Something was out there. Something big, something headed their way.

Vanille noticed he wasn't beside her anymore, and turned back to see why. She appeared startled by his likely fierce expression, and didn't approach.

"What's wrong?" She asked timidly.

The scent grew stronger, and Hope bared his teeth in it's general direction, growled. He sensed hostility, and the growl was a warning: back off.

The other animal returned the warning, giving away it's location, and what it was. It's growl was essentially an intense purr. A big cat.

Hope wasn't afraid of cats. But he also knew it wasn't going to let him alone. He barked.

_Bring it on._

A large, black-spotted, white leopard leapt out at him from behind the trees. It was bigger than he expected, but he'd fought bigger. He intercepted it before it could get anywhere near Vanille, who screamed in terror. In his peripheral vision, he saw her back off, which made his job easier.

The cat circled him, growling incessantly, it's ice-blue eyes staring him down, sizing him up. It's muscles rippled as it glided lithely through the snow. Hope followed the creature, rotating at his position, never letting it out of his sight. As such, he saw it prepare to pounce. So he prepared to counter.

The cat lunged with a territorial yowl, while Hope stood back on his hind legs, using the front to push his attacker back onto the ground. It was knocked slightly off-balance, but simply dove in a different direction. He whipped around just in time for it to come at him again, but it wasn't fast enough. He went down instead of up, teeth reaching for the first available piece of flesh. The front left foreleg was soon clamped between his jaws. With a twitch, he learned what cat tasted like.

Another yowl, one of rage, sounded in his ears. He was rocked onto the ground, unfriendly claws raking his side, adding to the blood staining the white blanket of snow.

The leopard wasn't playing anymore. It launched itself at him, going for his throat. He managed to kick it away with his back legs, sending it flying into a tree. It was dazed long enough for Hope to get back to his feet, but pounced again before he could make a move. It rammed into him, smacking it's claws into the injuries it had already given him, and making them deeper.

"Hope!" Vanille screamed.

_Stay away!_

He howled in pain as the leopard stayed on top of him, crushing him, digging it's claws further into his flesh. It had the perfect opportunity to clamp it's powerful jaws around his throat, but wasn't taking it. It seemed to want to make him suffer. The weight of the cat was too much, he couldn't fight back.

He heard the deep _snap_ of wood breaking, and he somehow knew it was Vanille. His theory was confirmed when she clubbed a broken branch into the leopard's side.

"Get off!" She shouted.

The image of both of their bodies lying torn and bleeding, dead in the snow, flashed into Hope's mind, and an emotion he hadn't felt in years flooded his heart.

Helplessness.

He could see his own blood soaking the snow he was half-buried in. Barring a miracle, he wasn't getting out of this, and he knew it.

The leopard abandoned his body as Vanille hit it again, and began prowling toward her, a threatening purr crawling out from it's throat.

She clung to her stick, but backed away slowly, green eyes wide in terror, saying, "N-nice kitty. I just wanted you to leave him alone, you can go now."

"Nice kitty" snapped it's teeth at her as she walked into a tree, with nowhere left to go.

_Leave her alone!_

Hope tried to force his bleeding body off the ground, gritting his teeth in an effort to ignore the pain.

"H-Hope." Vanille whimpered.

_I'm coming._

The leopard let out a violent snarl, but at the same time, another voice came from the trees.

"Hey!"

A girl with light pink hair ran into the scene, and straight for the very large, angry, bloodstained, violent cat.

She grabbed it by the ear and drug it away, scolding it harshly for attacking them. Hope collapsed back onto the ground, very confused.

The girl turned to Vanille. "You okay?"

Vanille nodded slowly, glancing between her and the retreating leopard.

"Sorry about him," the girl said, "he's very protective."

She kept talking, but Hope didn't really hear her. His head went foggy, and before he could form a thought, he blacked out.

* * *

**I apologize severely if that sucked.**

**The identities of these new players are probably very obvious, haha. **

**If that seemed to come out of nowhere, all I have to say is that life doesn't build up before it smacks you in the face sometimes.**

**Also: IMPORTANT.**

**As I said at the beginning of this fic, my friend Avid Vampire Hunter is feeding me the plot for this story. For the next two-ish months, there will be very few updates, because I won't have constant contact with her. But there WILL be updates, don't worry.**

**Now that that's settled, what did you think?**


	6. Out In The Cold

**Author's Note:** I AM SOSOSOSOSOSOSO SORRY! I did not mean to take so long updating! I don't even really have a legitimate excuse. I just - I just suck, okay?

But we're back with a new chapter! Hopefully I'll be able to start updating more often again, but I wouldn't get your hopes up just yet, give me a few weeks. Or you could, you know, leave a review. Those tend to motivate me. *hint hint cough cough wink wink*

Aaaannyway, here we go!

* * *

Chapter Six - Out In The Cold

When Hope came to, he was incased in a large cube constructed from metal bars. Anxiety pushed his heart, and he searched for the latch. Surely there had to be a latch. His drowsy mind took a minute to recognize it when he saw it, but he found it. It was an easy latch, he could even do it himself. But when he tried to fit one of his paws through the bars, he found that it was too big. He, actually, couldn't do it himself.

He took a deep breath to calm down, and he felt something constricting him. He looked back and saw that he was wrapped up in bandages.

"You're healing nicely." Came the voice of the girl from before. He watched her approach him, and noted that she was about the same height as Vanille. "Sorry about the cage, I wasn't too sure about you." She shifted her weight. "Vanille tells me you can understand what I'm saying - she's safe by the way. So, um, my name's Serah." Serah began fumbling with the latch. "This is Snow's cage, the leopard you fought earlier. Sorry about him. He's not normally like that, I swear." The door to the cage swung open, and his anxiety fled. Serah began walking away, turning back when he stayed in place. "Come on."

He followed her. She was very friendly, and seemed to have no problem accepting that he could understand her perfectly. He was a little wary, but wouldn't make any decisions until he knew for sure if Vanille was really safe.

They went out into what was clearly considered the backyard. The leopard - apparently named Snow - was sunbathing on a fallen tree. Several yards from him was another wolf. This one had deep brown fur, greying slightly, with a black patch on his chest. He gave off an air of wisdom, and despite being smaller than Hope, he knew this was an elder to be respected. A tiny chocobo chick fluttered around his head, clearly amusing him.

"You can't come inside," Serah said, "but we'll be out in a little bit. Don't worry, they're not going to mess with you." With that, she disappeared into the house.

Hope cautiously stepped out into the yard, aware of possible territory issues, prepared to back away if he was going to cause a problem. But neither animal noticed him at first.

It was the chocobo chick that finally acknowledged his presence. It flew over and landed on his snout, cocking it's head in a different direction every few seconds and chirping away.

The elder wolf soon followed, his tail dragging a bit in the snow. As he approached, the energetic yellow bird returned to him, once again fluttering around him. Hope sat down in order to not tower above the bird's companion, and allowed himself to be thoroughly sniffed, a gesture which he did not return.

The greying-brown wolf huffed his approval, and began to go back to where he'd been lounging before, chocobo chick in tow. Hope stood back up as Snow the leopard gave him a look that sat somewhere between acceptance and distrust.

_I don't care what you think of me._

The house door slammed shut behind him, and several female voices followed. One Hope didn't recognize, the other was Serah, and the third, Vanille. Relief flooded him as he watched the three women join them in the yard.

Vanille made a beeline for him, wrapping her arms around his big furry neck, and considering he was once again on all fours, that wasn't hard to do. Using his head, he returned the hug as best he could.

"I'm so glad you're okay." She whispered. "There was so much blood, I was so scared..."

He whined.

_It's alright._

Suddenly, he felt light-headed. He tried to back away from Vanille, but his legs buckled beneath him before he could. He toppled into her, knocking her onto the ground with as much ease as crushing a bug. She squeaked in what he hoped was surprise and not pain. He uselessly apologized to her over and over, attempting to force himself back to a standing position.

"Hey, Fang, back off."

Hope looked up to see the unknown woman - whom on second thought looked a lot like Serah - holding back yet another woman, armed with a mean-looking double-tipped spear. He assumed this was Fang.

She stood down when he was able to fully get off of Vanille. He nudged her with his snout, hoping to get his apology across, as Serah came to help her up.

"Wolves." Fang growled. "You know I hate the damn things."

"Yeah, well this one was attacked by Serah's dumb cat, he's still weak, he wasn't hurting her." Replied the other woman.

"Are you okay?" Serah asked Vanille.

"I'm fine."

It seemed to be true. She had no problems getting to her feet, and showed no outward signs of injury. It appeared that the only thing he'd done was startle her a little. He sat back on his haunches, still a bit shaky after collapsing like that.

Vanille turned to him, following her second assurance to Serah that she was fine. She eyed his bandages with a small amount of guilt resting in those green irises of hers. He understood why she probably thought his injuries were her fault, but she wasn't the one with the claws. He couldn't tell her this verbally, of course, so he settled for thumping his tail into the snow and perking his ears. Hopefully that got his message across.

Whether she understood what he meant or not, she smiled. And with that smile, came a change of subject.

"You met Serah, didn't you?" She asked.

He nodded.

"Well," She continued, turning to point at the woman she and Serah had left the house with, "this is Lightning." She skipped over Fang - causing him to assume this was the first time she'd seen the violent woman - and turned once more to the yard. "You already know Snow. The other wolf is Sazh, and his chocobo friend is Chocolina."

Hope nodded once more at the new information.

"He, really understands us, doesn't he?" The newly identified Lightning stated questioningly.

"Yep." Vanille confirmed.

Lightning crossed her arms in thought. "I don't want to pry, but how does a sensible girl like you end up in the middle of nowhere with such an intelligent animal?"

"Well I - I wanted to go for a walk." Vanille explained sheepishly. "He came with me to protect me. We lost track of time...and then Snow attacked."

"What I want to know," Fang interrupted, "is why it's so huge. Damn thing's near as big as a bear."

"That's a bit of an exaggeration, Fang." Serah said.

"It's twice the size of Light's mutt. Whaddya want me to say?"

"He's not _mine_." Lightning muttered. "He just won't leave me alone."

"So your village can't be too far, right?" Said Serah to Vanile, putting the conversation back on track.

Vanille shook her head. "It's just that way." She pointed toward home.

Serah pursed her lips for a few seconds; thinking Hope assumed.

"It's getting kinda late." She said when she was finished. "And I've been hearing about some bad storms heading this way. Why don't you two stay here tonight?"

* * *

Hope tried to bury his freezing cold nose in his paws, but just ended up breathing in slightly melted snow. He blew it out quickly, as though its presence in his nostrils offended him. He was licking some stray bits of frozen fluff from his nose when he heard the door to the house creak.

It was Vanille. She had a blanket draped around her shoulders, and was padding her way over to his place beneath a tree. The moon was full, but clouds spotted the pitch night sky. As a result, she began to almost glow about halfway across the yard.

He kept his head down until she sat beside him and began to pet him, then he raised it a bit, just enough to watch her. She seemed a little lost inside herself, but her hand purposefully avoided his bandages.

She didn't say anything for a while, just ran her fingers through his fur. He watched her face, curious as to what she was thinking. Could have been anything really, for there was admittedly a lot he didn't know about her.

After a pair of owls exchanged a short conversation, she let him in. "I'm really glad you're alright. He would've killed me if you hadn't stepped in. You saved my life." She hesitated for a moment, then swiftly kissed his nose, whispering, "Thank you."

_No, thank you_.

Vanille stood, and hesitated again before removing her blanket and laying it across his back. "You need it more than I do."

She headed back for the house, faster than her original trip. Hope watched her still, until the door shut behind her. Then he laid his head back down on his paws.

_Saved your life? He was going to kill you, I couldn't move. It was Serah who saved your life, not me._

He continued to ride that bitter train of thought until it lulled him to sleep. And that night, he dreamed of Vanille. She held a small crystal in her hands.


	7. A Small Voice

**Author's Note:** Hey! See? It took me less time to get this chapter out! Anyway, some...interesting stuff happens in this chapter. Let me just say, I hate writing the letter Y.

* * *

Chapter Seven - A Small Voice

Hope breathed in the scents of the forest as deeply as he could - given the bandages still secured around his body - to try and locate breakfast. Snow was beside him, relatively speaking. He and the large cat were growing used to one another, bonded in their shared protective qualities. Fang seemed to find it amusing. Humans have this notion that cats and dogs don't get along, but it was no more true than their myths about him. Both situations do in fact exist, but not in all cases.

He heard it before he smelled it. A small mammal, scrounging in what was left of a bush ahead of them, likely unaware of their presence. Ignoring Snow entirely, Hope began to stalk forward. It wasn't long before the scrawny thing was in his sights. It wouldn't be much, but something is better than nothing.

His stomach agreed.

Frankly surprised he hadn't been spotted yet, Hope prepared to strike. Only a fraction of a split second before he did, the animal was gone, carried off by a streak of almost blue-ish fur.

Blood pounded in Hope's ears as he raced after the thief, cursing his failure at sensing its approach. His huge paws brutally displaced the snow as he quickly gained ground on what he had determined was yet another she-wolf; the second to steal from him.

He violently tackled her at the first opportunity, ripping the now-dead prey from her jaws. She yelped underneath him and scrambled to flee, but he was too much for her.

He snarled. _I'm not letting _anyone-

_"Ouch!"_

_-steal from me again! Especially- _He blinked._ Wait, you can talk?_

The she-wolf huffed. _"Of course. Wait. You can understand me?"_

In his shock, Hope completely forgot his anger towards her, and even dropped the carcass they'd mutually stolen free from his mouth. He cautiously let her out from underneath him, and she rolled over onto her paws, apparently unharmed. Which was no small feat, considering his rather large size advantage on her.

He regarded her almost as a scientific specimen as she shook the snow out of her fur and tested out her limbs to make sure they weren't injured. He hadn't used words to communicate with _anyone_ in thirteen years. Period. He could read other animals fairly well and still understood human language, and acted accordingly. But this...

Snow slunk up from the west - well, _their_ west, anyway. He snapped his tail and waited for a signal from Hope. Which he decided not to give. Not yet.

_Who are you?_

the she-wolf looked up at him with...green eyes. Her fur could be described as silver like his, but it held more of a metallic-blue tint. In the process of deciding this, he noticed that she was wearing a collar. It was beaded, and looked tribal, possibly that of her owner.

He felt a spike in his chest. Her master couldn't be far.

_"He's not." _She said.

_Great, you can read my mind, too?_

_"I don't think so, just what you want me to, but I felt your fear."_

Hope scoffed. Fear.

_...Who are you?_

She bowed her head only slightly, but she probably couldn't see his face. _"My name is Yeul."_

Were he still human, he would have raised an eyebrow. But as it was, he simply huffed.

_Hope._

Yeul appeared to take this as acceptance, which he supposed it was, and brought her head back up. _"I'm sorry I stole from you. I wouldn't have if I had known you were there."_

It seemed they were both lax in their observation skills that day.

_It's fine._

She gave him a wolfy smile. An action which Snow must have misinterpreted, because he let out a low growl. Hope shook his head no, it was fine, while Yeul looked him over curiously.

_"He...belongs to Serah, doesn't he?"_

Hope flicked his ears in surprise.

_...Yes. How did you know?_

_"My master and I are visiting her and Lightning. He's been friends with them for years now."_

Hope snorted. _Small world._

She stood, shaking herself free of snow once again. _"We should head back, don't you think?"_

This girl certainly was curious.

* * *

"There's my girl!"

Yeul trotted to the side of her master, a tall, well-muscled fellow; but thin, as if he'd never eaten well. His shaggy brown hair was borderline unkempt, not that Hope could judge. He petted Yeul very playfully; joy radiated from her.

Snow slunk back to his fallen tree, obviously miffed about not getting any breakfast. Sazh hadn't joined them, in fact Snow had to step over his still-sleeping body on the way to his tree. He weaved around the dead branches to his favorite sleeping spot.

Hope was about to join Sazh in the snow when Yeul's master cried out, "Hey!"

He turned to the man, confirming that he was the cause of alarm. He sat as all four girls stepped outside, clearly responding to the outburst.

"What's up?" Serah asked.

"What's _up_?" The man repeated incredulously. "Look at that thing!"

_"Noel..."_

Hope was momentarily startled by Yeul's voice in his head. He supposed he'd have to get used to that. Though he wasn't quite sure he wanted to. While it was nice to finally be able to converse with someone properly, he didn't trust it. Meeting her couldn't have been a coincidence.

Vanille came over to him with that smile of hers. "Hi!" She said brightly.

_Hi._

_"She is rather pretty..."_ Yeul commented casually.

"Disgustingly so." Fang confirmed.

Lightning rolled her eyes.

"So, when did you get here, Noel?" Serah wondered, reaching to pet Yeul.

"Not too long ago. I sent Yeul ahead to hunt, and, well..." He threw a quick glance at Hope. "Anyway, we were heading to Cocoon to stock up, and I thought it would be nice to stop by."

Fang scoffed. "Whatever, you just wanted free food."

"Hey, I can hunt my own food, thank you very much." Noel said defensively.

Vanille had stilled at the mention of Cocoon, and chose that moment to voice her reason. "Cocoon?" She said. "The village?"

It clicked.

_Oh, that's what it's called._

He could've sworn he heard Yeul laugh.

Noel turned to Vanille as if noticing her for the first time. "Yeah."

"That's where I'm from." She explained. Sounding a little embarrassed, she added, "I don't quite know how to get back."

"Well, I'd be happy to take you with us." Noel offered. "I know what it's like to be lost."

Hope stood at this, his ears flattened back against his head. He couldn't believe this guy. He just met her.

"Not lost." She corrected, borderline defensive. "Just confused."

Technicalities aside, the plans were set. Noel would be taking Vanille home in two days.

Hope felt restless.

* * *

**Hey! I haven't been able to say this in a while, but I'm already working on the next chapter! Man...that feels good. Anyway, so...Yeul. What an interesting plot development...**


	8. Ownerships And More Snowstorms

**Author's Note:** I didn't mean to take a month! I'm sorry! Don't eat me alive! But hey, this one's pretty long (my fingers ache just thinking about it), so that makes up for it, right? Right? Right!?

Okay, I'll stop now. Anyway, here's chapter eight!

* * *

Chapter Eight - Ownerships And More Snowstorms

It was the last day at Serah and Lightning's home. When the sun rose again, Noel would be escorting Vanille back to her home, which Hope was admittedly slightly bitter about. If he hadn't been completely disoriented, he would be able to do it himself. Not that he'd be able to communicate that to her...

From his place in the yard, he could hear the goings on in the house. Fang was saying her goodbyes, thanking Serah and Lightning for their hospitality and Vanille for breakfast. (She'd insisted. She said it was the least she could do after all they'd done for her and Hope) Of course, she sounded less like a gracious guest and more like someone who really didn't care.

He assumed this was regular behavior for her.

Fang threw him a smirk as she left; he flicked his ears. She still didn't like or trust him, but he was okay with that. She really had no reason to.

Sazh sneezed deeper in the yard, and Hope watched as Chocolina fluttered irritatedly about his head, chirping with fire. The sneeze had knocked her from her perch on Sazh's head. The old wolf simply licked his own nose before settling back down, clearly unconcerned by her irritation.

For once, Snow was curled up in his cage instead of on his tree, his paws placed over his eyes, presumably to block out the sun. His relocation was - in part - because of Serah. The cat had taken a snap at Yeul the day before - confirming that he didn't remember her - and Serah had banished him to the cage. She'd let him out, but Hope could only assume that he still felt guilty, as he went back in after she left.

Yeul herself was in the house, which she'd informed him was the usual arrangement, as she was so much smaller that both Snow and Sazh, and the fact that they never stayed too terribly long.

Even so, she was sent outside about an hour or so after Fang left. He felt her practically exploding with energy, and she trotted awkwardly through the thick blanket of snow that _still_ covered the ground toward him.

_"Hi!"_

Hope exhaled slowly. There was still something about her that felt off, though he wasn't yet sure how so. That, and her constant pup-like energy was much less entertaining when she was in his head.

She stopped short, her tail drooping into the snow; she'd sensed his feelings.

_"You don't trust me, do you?"_

He decided to be honest.

_Not entirely, no._

She looked down at her paws, like she'd done something wrong. _"Why?"_

_Look, it's nothing against you, I just don't trust the fact that we can talk to each other. You wouldn't trust you if you were me, either._

Yeul scuffed her paw. _"I understand."_

Her excitement died. As he felt her flames flicker out, he noticed something he hadn't before. The fur around her eyes was blackened, much like his paw, and Sazh's chest. It somehow made her look older, and wiser.

Interesting.

Yeul laid down where she was and buried her little snout. She felt just as blue as her fur looked.

Hope sighed. He hadn't meant to hurt her feelings, but he couldn't lie to her. He truly didn't trust her, he had to reason to.

But, he thought as he gazed upon her sad face, he had no reason not to either. He had to give her the benefit of the doubt, she was just a girl.

His change of heart didn't go unnoticed - not that he had expected it to. Yeul leapt from her miniature snow burrow and gave a little bark, _"Thank you!"_

_Don't thank me yet, I could still change my mind._

_"Why are you so pessimistic?"_

_...Let's just say I drew the short stick._

* * *

As the day wore on, angry clouds covered them once again. The wolves - even Hope - were ushered inside, while Snow remained a ball in the cage, where he'd be relatively protected from the inevitable white rain.

Lightning was leaned against the wall beside the north-facing window, arms crossed in what was clearly annoyance.

"Sis, staring at the clouds won't make them go away." Serah teased.

Lightning merely grunted, and ignored her.

"She is just the friendliest person." Noel said sarcastically to Vanille, both of whom were atop the pile of furs that served as a temporary couch.

Vanille giggled. "Don't storms make you grumpy?"

"Only when I'm caught in it." Noel stated factually. "There was this one time a few years ago, Yeul and I were between towns, and I saw these nasty clouds off in the distance. I thought we'd be able to make it, but-" He shook his head "-after about an hour the rain hit us and we were soaked to the bone."

Serah laughed. "I remember that."

"Yeul looked like a furry skeleton."

Noel's simile caused Vanille to join in Serah's laughter, looking happier than he had ever seen her. Hope turned green. He couldn't do that for her, not like this.

Yeul - who up until this point had been pretending to be asleep - laughed at him. _"Don't worry," _she said_, "Noel belongs to me."_

He'd looked up at her when she spoke, and she'd opened her eyes to him. He didn't know why she continued to watch him, but he himself was staring curiously. He wondered - calmly, and to himself so she wouldn't hear - what she meant by saying that Noel was hers. Were she human he would have assumed the obvious, but she wasn't. After a few minutes, his curiosity turned into an audible whine.

Yeul gave a faux-tired bark of amusement - for whatever reason, she was still pretending to be drowsy - and put her head back down on her paws.

Hope huffed.

"They seem to be getting along well." Vanille observed, something hanging on the edge of her voice.

Which Noel didn't appear to notice. "Yeah." He said. "She's a friendly thing, but I've never seen her socialize so much."

"Must be mating season." Serah teased.

In complete and total sync, both Hope and Yeul's heads snapped toward her, ears pricked so sharply they could cut glass.

Everyone - except Lightning - broke out into laughter.

"Looks like you hit a sore spot." Noel chuckled.

Still laughing, Serah went to Hope and patted his head. "You know I was just joking," she giggled.

Hope decided to let it go, but moved to the other side of the room - as far from them as he could go - and lied facing the wall.

Yeul seemed to think it was funny.

A low howl started outside, and the wind took the house in it's hands like a rowdy child, rattling the windowpanes.

"That's it," Lightning declared, "I'm going to bed." Hope heard her cross the room and shut her door behind her, to which Serah almost inaudibly sighed. Noel and Vanille probably hadn't heard her, but he had.

When he finally decided to look back at what should have been his kind, Noel rose off of the awkward pile of furs and stretched. "Well," he said, "I think I'll hit the sack, too."

Serah - who had replaced her sister at the window - replied distractedly, "Night."

The hunter not-quite-staggered over to his girl, who looked up at him with her curious eyes. He murmured quiet words to her as he removed her beaded collar and gently mussed up her fur.

_"I love you, Noel."_

Hope knew at once those were not words meant for his mind, yet he was humbled to know that he was the first to hear her heart. _"Noel belongs to me," _she'd said. He understood now.

The silver wolf found himself staring at Vanille as she herself watched the pair retreat to their designated guest space, Yeul's words repeating in his head. He tried to ignore it, but a gentle burn began deep in his chest.

* * *

The wind continued to shake the house well into the night. Hope had moved by the door after Serah and Vanille had gone to bed, feeling a desire to go outside, despite the storm.

He had been trying to fall asleep for what seemed like decades, but he couldn't. Just as he always returned to the man's house after a time, his thoughts drifted continuously back to Vanille. He couldn't get her out of his head. But after a while...he stopped trying.

The wind intensified, deepening it's moan. The windows complained. Hope picked up his head and watched the swirling mass of white. His paws itched to get up and plow through the snow. He wanted to breathe in the icy air and feel it tug at his fur. He'd only developed a love for the cold since becoming a wolf. As a boy, the only cold he'd appreciated was the initial edge of jumping into the lake.

"Hope?"

The wolf flicked his ears inward to the house, listening again for her voice. There was a soft _thump, _and she spoke again.

"Hope?"

Vanille stumbled into his sight, her face scrunched as she tried to make her way in the dark. He had to admit, watching her fumble was kind of amusing. But as she softly called for him yet again, he padded to her, pressing his nose into her outstretched hand. She breathed out relief, and moved her hand up his muzzle to the top of his head. "I can't sleep," she confessed. "Would - would you stay with me?"

Hope answered by leading her back to her little room; her hand never left him. She slipped back under the covers, and he lied down next to her on the floor. She watched him, and he her. He found her eyes as mesmerizing as the fields they resembled, and was soon lost.

After a while, Vanille reached out and ran her hand through his fur. She was very gentle, her fingers slipped easily through his thick coat.

Then, he was overcome with a human desire. He wanted...he wanted hands. He wanted - just for a moment - to be able to hold her.

"I'm glad you stayed." She mumbled then. "You're not such a terrible ghost. It's just that no one ever truly saw you."

_I wish I could say that you have..._

Despite the raging winds that shook the house around them, a rather peaceful silence followed as the pair drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Do I get to live...?**

**I'm sure you've noticed by now all the slightly misplaced black fur on these guys. I just wonder if you know what it represents...**

**Anywho, why don't you let me know what you think so far, and I'll get working on the next chapter. It's a win-win! :)**


	9. Waking Up

**Author's Note:** I cringe at how long it's been since I've updated this... *cringe* Hopefully this chapter makes up for it. :) We're getting to the meat of the story, guys!

* * *

Chapter Nine - Waking Up

When Hope woke the next morning, one of Vanille's thin arms was draped around him, and her face was buried in the scruff of his neck. He felt her breaths through his thick fur, creating a warm spot on his skin. The slight pressure her weight created was nice, and he found their position comfortable enough to want to go back to sleep...

That is, until he heard voices in the other room, then he realized in one fell swoop that the storm from the night before had subsided, and everyone else was awake.

Hope gently shook his head, hoping that was enough to wake Vanille, but he got no response. He tried growling in her ear; all that happened was she pulled closer, sighing sleepily. He began to feel embarrassed, which only doubled when he heard Serah speaking in the other room. Were he human, he could almost guarantee he would look like a fresh summer tomato. As it was, every inch of skin under his fur burned.

Determined to wake Vanille, Hope started to get up on his paws - just a little. Maybe if she slid off his neck, he'd have better luck. However, there was one thing wrong with his plan.

She wouldn't let go.

He was standing fully on all fours, she had been lifted halfway off the bed, yet still on she held. If anything, her grip grew tighter. His ears flicked toward the continuing noise in the other room, and his nose wiggled as he began to question whether or not she was actually asleep.

Hope rose back on his hind legs inch by inch, approaching ever so slowly the almost suffocatingly low ceiling - which hadn't bothered him until now. Had it always been that short?

Never reaching his full height - not that he would have managed it anyway - the large silver wolf lost his footing, toppling with a loud _thump_ to the floor. Vanille landed awkwardly beside him, finally jolted awake.

"Huh?" Upon realizing she was no longer in bed, she glanced around in confusion, "How'd I get down here?"

Hope rolled his eyes in amusement; the girl certainly was a curiosity. A quick whiff of the air brought with it a familiar smell and a sneeze.

Vanille looked up at him with a smile, "Oh, good morning! Thank you for staying with me," she added quietly.

He nodded.

_It was my pleasure._

Footsteps indicated the approach of someone. A good half of Lightning's face was covered in flour, along with a decent portion of her clothes. Her light rose hair was pulled back, so it had been spared.

"What's going on in here?" she asked, "What was that noise?"

Vanille cocked her head slightly, confused for the second time that morning, "What noise?"

"...Never mind."

"...Um," Vanille pointed, "there's flour on your face..."

Lightning merely shrugged, fully aware, "This is nothing, you should see Serah." She brushed some of the flour from her nose, where it tickled Hope's nose, causing him to release another sneeze.

Both women seemed amused, though Vanille more actively so, releasing a short fit of giggles. Lightning simply smirked, almost imperceptibly, "When you're ready, Serah and I made you breakfast, since you're leaving."

"Oh, you didn't have to do that."

"Try telling that to Serah."

She left, and Vanille followed only minutes after, Hope at her heels. The sisters had indeed made breakfast, enough food was piled on the table to justify the flour dusted everywhere. Hope's senses were overloaded by the meal, and he loved it. His tail wagged behind him, nearly knocking over a large cabinet.

_"Good morning!"_ Yeul greeted as she and Noel entered the room.

_Morning._

"Wow, all of this for Vanille?" Noel elbowed Serah teasingly, "Why don't you ever make me a goodbye breakfast?"

Serah play-shoved him, "Because," she smirked, "you're _always_ loitering around. Vanille's a _real_ guest."

Noel put a hand over his heart, pretending to be hurt, "I can't believe this. I am so offended."

Lightning smirked.

The breakfast scraps Hope was thrown were delicious. Although, since he had to share with three other animals, (Snow finally came inside) he only got a little. But Yeul made sure he ate.

Cleanup would have gone a lot slower if Lighting hadn't been helping. Even Sazh's baby bird knew Serah was stalling. The younger sister was the entertaining sort; she would feel a bit lonely when they left, Hope was sure. With a bit of a forced smile, she gave Vanille a friendly hug and warning, "Travel safe."

Vanille hugged her back, "Don't worry, I've got two big, strong boys to protect me." Hope sat and puffed out his chest a little, until she smiled at Noel. Then he kind of deflated, and his tail hit the floor. He felt Yeul smiling to herself and flicked his ears at her.

"Yeah, she'll be fine," Noel agreed, "even buried in snow, I know these woods like the back of my hand. Besides, aside from that ghost, nothing threatening is awake right now."

"You're right..."

Lightning was much less friendly in her farewell, although that was to be expected, though she seemed sincere enough. Snow surprisingly seemed to take their leaving pretty hard. As hard as a viciously protective cat could, anyway. His tail drooped as he weaved his way through the bodies. He rubbed faces with Yeul, marking her as his friend, hope supposed. The large cat then came over to him and apologetically grazed his shoulder over the still-healing wounds left by his powerful claws. The silver wolf bowed his head in acceptance of that apology. The gashes would leave scars that his fur would never grow over, but that was fine with him. He was ready and able to protect Vanille once more, even _without_ Noel.

Lightning went back to her daily routine, but Serah lingered at the door as they left, with Snow at her side. At some point, Sazh must've come outside, because he was sleeping on the porch, with Chocolina perched on his head.

The snow was _deep_. It was fast approaching Noel and Vanille's knees, though it didn't seem to bother the hunter much; and Yeul had absolutely no qualms about tromping through the snow - he could feel her excitement about it. He watched as she stuck her head into the frozen flakes and flung it up, spraying the fluffy stuff everywhere.

Vanille kept one hand on Hope's neck as the four of them plowed through the thick snow, her delicate fingers twisted into his fur. It wasn't long, however, before he noticed her lagging a bit. Fighting through the thick covering of snow was wearing her down. So, with little to no thought beforehand, he nudged her ahead of him and pushed his head between her legs and reared it, causing her to fall onto his back in a show of squeals and flailing limbs; she pulled his fur a bit as she tried to stay on.

Yeul was both laughing in his head _and_ barking, and Noel's laughter might as well have been barking. Hope turned to look at Vanille and saw that she was _horribly_ red-faced - and not from the cold. He didn't feel too bad about embarrassing her; it could be considered payback for that morning.

"You know, I'm starting to question if he's actually a dog," Noel joked, "I think he might actually be a horse."

Vanille didn't respond, just situated herself comfortably on Hope's back. He felt something from Yeul as he caught her glancing at Noel, but he wasn't sure what.

They were soon on their way once again. Noel quickly broke through Vanille's embarrassment and started asking questions. Why hadn't he seen her before in Cocoon? Was she originally from there? Hope just followed the hunter, Vanille riding almost weightlessly upon his back, with Yeul sticking close to Noel's heels. The two wolves just listened to the conversation, content to just be pets for a little while. Any negative feelings Hope felt towards Noel were all but gone.

Eventually, the terrain around them became familiar. Hope's ears perked up and he picked up his pace; he knew where they were, he could take her home.

"Whoa, slow down, boy!" Noel called as Vanille clung tighter to Hope's neck, "I know I called you a horse, but I didn't mean it!"

Hope huffed, but he slowed down - for Vanille's sake. Still, he didn't appreciate being called _boy_.

Yeul pranced up beside him, her tail wagging rapidly behind her, and energy radiating off of her in waves, _"Why did you slow down? Let's run! I want to run!"_

_So do I..._

He ready did. The wolf's massive paws itched to tear through the landscape at great speed. He had stayed put for the past several days for Vanille's sake, but he was used to moving freely, never staying in one place for too long. His infrequent hunts with the other animals hadn't been enough to sate his need to _move_.

His favorite part of his unfortunate transformation was his ability to push his highly superior legs to the breaking point, to taste his own speed in the air whose fingers he slipped through, wild, untamable.

But the pressure of Vanille's body on his back reminded him that his freedom would be limited now. He was bound somehow to this woman, he wouldn't leave her.

Hope had an idea.

_Maybe we can. There's a field coming up, stop at the edge._

Yeul was about ready to burst with all of her energy. Still, she stopped like she was told, though her ears were perked and her tail wagged furiously. She panted in anticipation.

"Hey, what's the deal?" Noel stared looking around, apparently thinking they sensed danger.

Hope ignored him, and instead looked to Vanille. He could've had her get off, but he wanted to show her this thing that he loved. So instead, he gave her a look that said, "Hold on."

She must've understood, because she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.

_Go_.

Hope and Yeul were off, though she was soon left behind. Hope flew through the snow, spraying it everywhere as he pushed his muscles harder, faster. He smiled his wolfy smile, his tongue flapping out the side of his mouth. _This _was something no weak human would ever understand. About halfway across the field, he felt Vanille loosen her grip a little and sit up straighter. He knew she was enjoying the speed, too. He heard her laugh with joy.

_You'll probably never know everything, Vanille, but this is one part of my world I can share with you._

She started clinging to him again once they approached the other end of the field and he began to slow down. He heard her take deep breaths to slow her surely racing heart, and could practically hear the smile on her face as well.

"That was fun!" Vanille exclaimed breathlessly.

Maybe she could understand.

Yeul barked happily as she caught up, plopping down in the snow in cleansing exhaustion.

Bark. _"That was fun!"_ Bark, bark.

Hope huffed in amusement.

The three of them watched Noel as he straggled through the thick snow. He was quite far behind them. Hope barked out a laugh, a deep rumble that echoed across the empty plain.

Noel was quite miffed by the time he made it over to them. But an adorable plea from Yeul soon rid him of that. Allowing the hunter some time to rest, they were off once again - at a reasonable pace.

Cocoon wasn't too far off, though by the time they got to the village, Vanille informed them that she was getting tired...

"Hold on, I gotta stop at Caius' first," Noel said, "He's the one who gave me Yeul, you know. A couple of years ago, as a hunting dog."

"Really?" Vanille asked.

"Yeah. He said if I took care of her, she'd take care of me," he smiled, "Isn't that right, girl?"

Instead of barking happily in response, Yeul squeaked and fell to the ground. She started to shake, and Hope could practically hear her heart race.

"Yeul!" Noel cried.

Vanille stood by in shock while Noel tried to figure out what was wrong. He frantically attempted to keep her still, similar to if she were seizing.

But Hope knew that wasn't what was happening. He leaned over and gently nudged her side.

_Yeul? What's wrong?_

He couldn't quite catch her thoughts, because they were so jumbled. At length, the smaller wolf began to control her breathing. She stopped shaking somewhat, and looked up at him, the expression in her eyes entirely unreadable.

_"...That man - Caius...he's my father!"_


	10. It's In The Genes

**Author's Note:** Hi! Look at this, it's a chapter update that didn't take a million billion years! Aren't you proud of me? This one is a little shorter than usual, but...well, you'll see when you read it. :)

Here we go!

* * *

Chapter Ten - It's In The Genes

_"...That man - Caius...he's my father!"_

Without thinking, a growl escaped from Hope's throat.

_Your _father!?

He felt Vanille's hand on his back, though he couldn't tell if it was her hand shaking, or his own body. Her _father_? That was preposterous.

Unless...

As Yeul became overwhelmed and passed out - prompting a cry from Noel - the man in question stepped out from the trees. He had been there the whole time, of that Hope was sure. Yeul must have seen him, triggering her response. Caius stepped forward, toward his alleged daughter. Hope - on purpose this time - let out a ferocious growl, and barked loud enough that birds perched in trees in the distance were startled, and fled to the safety of the sky. He stepped to the side, placing himself above Yeul and in front of Vanille, protecting them from the man he thought he trusted.

Furious blood pounded in the wolf's ears as Noel asked, "Caius, what's going on?"

The man ran his piercing eyes over the four of them before they rested on Hope's.

_What kind of bullshit is this!? Is she like me!? EXPLAIN YOURSELF!_

His frustration and confusion came out in one more deafening bark, so harsh it left his own throat begging for mercy. His ears flicked as he heard Yeul whimper below him.

Caius continued to stare Hope down as he took another step forward. The beast didn't back away, in fact, he hardly moved a muscle. Whether he was her father or not, he wasn't letting him touch Yeul.

A sigh escaped the man's mouth, "How quickly you distrust me, my friend. Very well, I do not blame you." His gaze shifted then to Noel, "Bring Yeul to my home, if he will let you. You too, my dear," he said to Vanille, "There is something very important I have been keeping from you all. It's past time I explain." With that, he turned and headed back to his secluded house.

Hope was seething. This was wrong, everything was wrong. Still, when Noel cautiously approached to pick up his beloved pet, he stepped aside. He needed answers.

When they entered Caius' house, he was calmly maintaining the fire in his hearth, acting as though nothing was happening. Only Vanille's touch kept Hope from tearing his hands off. Noel gently placed Yeul on the floor by the fire so she would be warm. The snow began almost immediately to melt from her fur.

Never leaving her side, Noel asked, "What are you hiding, Caius? What's wrong with her?"

"Not to worry, she'll be just fine." The man migrated to a chair, where he could see all of them. His casual demeanor only infuriated Hope more, but he stayed with Vanille, who was subconsciously chewing her lip in confusion, and perhaps a little fear. He made a vow to protect her, and that's what he would do.

"It's a bit of a tedious tale to tell," Caius added, "but listen close. It will explain everything."

* * *

_Generations ago, in a village smaller than Cocoon, new parents were celebrating the birth of their daughter. The couple swooned over their beautiful baby, her soft tufts of hair colored silver like her mother's. She slept soundly as her half-sister watched from the doorway, afraid of being a nuisance. Her fears were in vain, however, as the baby adored her, and they both were raised with love._

_But as the silver-haired girl grew, she began to show signs of possessing otherworldly power. The mother - named Etro - feared this power, and proclaimed her youngest child cursed. Soon, she told the girl's father that their daughter had to die, her power couldn't be allowed to blossom. He waved her off as mad, surely she didn't intend to kill their child. But Etro began treating her as if she were diseased, and spent many hours away - goddess knows where. He soon began to realize that she was in fact startlingly, horrifyingly serious. He loved his daughter, he couldn't let her die._

_So, knowing of the mystical arts himself, the father channeled his daughter's power in an attempt to put an end to her mother's outrageous plans. With this power, he intended to kill her, but as he approached her, watching their silver-haired angel sleep, he couldn't do it. He couldn't take her life. Despite everything...he still loved her deeply. So, instead, he slipped her into a deep, quiet sleep. H__e held her and grieved for what he had to do. He carried her away to a nearby cave unknown to anyone in their village. He laid her to rest there, as her body slowly turned to crystal in front of him - an eternal sleep. As she transformed, a curse poured from his heart:_

_"Etro, for your evil, you are sentenced to death. However, it will not be by my hand. The first male descendant of your eldest daughter shall be the guardian of your killer. I, bound to you, shall not age nor die until the deed is done. Our daughter shall remain at my side, protected from harm."_

_With resounding finality, the father left the cave and returned home. Upon his arrival, he found that his child had been transformed into a silver beast. She was very small and terribly frightened. He regretted what his actions had done to her, but it was too late. Thankful that her older sister already had a life of her own, he took her that very same day and moved to Cocoon, a recently settled village at the time..._

* * *

His tale left three of them in shock, while Yeul looked down at her paws. Hope was too stunned to read her. Noel stared at her in disbelief. His best friend used to be human...

Vanille finally managed to stutter, "Wh...what do _we_ have to do with it?"

Caius gave her a look that could not be interpreted, then rested his eyes on his...daughter, "If you recall, Yeul had an older sister - fathered by another man. She was spared from my curse, and had no boys. However, several generations later," he looked at Hope now, eyes as cold and serious as ever, "one of her descendants finally bore a son."

This shockwave was worse than the initial earthquake. Noel seemed to be in a state of being perpetually dumbfounded. Vanille was looking at Hope with such shock and confusion...

_You were right, Mom..._

In an instant, Vanille bolted from the house. Noel rose to chase after her, but Caius shook his head, "No, my boy."

Hope didn't stay to see what happened next. He nosed his way outside and followed Vanille's messy tracks. Tracking her by scent more out of habit than necessity, he found her leaning against a tree, crying. He felt awful.

_I wanted to tell you..._

He nuzzled her hands, which covered her face.

_I'm sorry, Vanille... I'm so sorry..._

Hope wished so desperately that she could hear him... He hadn't known the whole truth either, not until now. He wanted to tell her, to talk to her, to comfort her, but his damn body... He sat in the snow, trying to figure out how to help her.

Eventually, she calmed down on her own. Wiping the nearly-frozen tears from her face, she hesitantly asked, "Are you...really a human in there?"

Hope nodded, looking down at his paws, feeling almost ashamed.

She took his head in her hands, her thumbs resting near his eyes. She looked at him pleadingly, "Tell me what you're thinking..."

Even if he could tell her, his mind was blank. But he pressed his forehead to hers, wanting so selfishly to be human again so he could kiss her, that he buried the desire instantly. It wasn't the time.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and for a time they stayed frozen in silence, woman and beast, the world around them remained just as still. Breaking the spell, Vanille whispered, "We have to do something... I'll help you... I won't give up...until you're human again... I promise..."


	11. Unsaid Words

**Author's Note:** *cringes at how long it's been since the last update* Sorry... But I've had a lot of projects! I have one new one-shot coming out soon, and an update to Chaos Resolved on its way as well, so I actually have been working! (Yeah, yeah, excuses, excuses, get on with the chapter already.)

Okay...

* * *

Chapter Eleven - Unsaid Words

Hope and Vanille returned to Caius' house, where their companions still remained. Yeul seemed to be doing a little better, though she was still curled in front of the fire like a sickly pup. Vanille stuck to Hope's side, eyes still red from crying. But Hope could feel a new strength from her.

"Are you okay?" Noel asked gently, genuinely concerned.

Vanille nodded and sniffled - just a little, "I'm okay." Hope grazed her comfortingly, and she twisted her fingers into the fur on his neck, "Um..." she turned to Caius, "If you could...what are we supposed to do?"

Caius turned his gaze to his...daughter, a fact that Hope still found hard to swallow, "I'm afraid I cannot intervene with that. You will have to break the curse on your own, otherwise the seal on Hope and Yeul may not lift."

Noel stood protectively in front of Yeul, his eyes betraying irritation, if not anger, "So that's it? You think you can just drop this on us and-"

_"Noel...please..."_

Even though only Hope could hear her words, Yeul's whimper let everyone know how she felt. Noel stopped his complaint, but even she remains of Hope's last meal could tell he was still furious.

Hope let out a low _ruff_ of dismissal, which Noel understood as, "Back off, let's go." The hunter scooped up his loyal companion, who was still damp and weak from her fit. Without speaking, he simply left the house. Vanille hesitated before following, hoping that maybe she would get more answers. But a nudge from her ghost got her moving.

Outside, Noel stood frozen, Yeul resting limply in his arms. Vanille came up behind him, and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Noel, you and Yeul can stay with me."

He shook his head, "No, we couldn't..."

"I insist," she said, "Just one night won't hurt anything."

Noel gave in; after all, Hope thought to himself, who could resist those eyes?

_Stop it._

On the way back to her house - between being stopped by nearly every villager and Vanille assuring them she had just been off visiting a friend - Hope thought she seemed rather tired. Her eyelids drooped a little and she repeatedly nearly tripped over snow, a problem she'd never had before. He stayed by her side, a little worried.

Vanille set up a place for Yeul by her fire, for which the smaller wolf was very grateful. Hope sat out of the way - as out of the way as he could in her small house - while she made up a bed for Noel. He unconsciously smelled the air as he watched, taking in all the scents that had quickly become familiar to him, the scents of Vanille's life.

_"Hope..."_

Eyes and ears flicked immediately to Yeul, who was looking up at him with eyes just as deep as her father's. Had she known the whole time? About him? About everything? One would think, but something told him the opposite.

_Yeah?_

_"Would you...could you...stay with me?"_

The poor thing was shivering; going back out in the cold had refrozen her damp fur. Yet he felt that she wanted his companionship less for warmth and more for a sense of safety - her meeting with Caius had really shaken her. She may have been one of his ancestors, but she was just a pup, really.

_Of course I will._

Hope stepped over to her, avoiding knocking over any of Vanille's things. Lying down, he curled his large body around her significantly smaller one, determined to kill two birds with one stone and keep her warm as well as safe.

_"I'm sorry..." _she whispered, _"I didn't know...I would've told you..." _He reached over and gave her ear a gentle lick.

_That's alright..._

Soon, she slept, finally at peace.

* * *

The next morning, Hope awoke with Vanille's feet in his face, as she was stoking the fire in front of him. There was a bit of a hollow by his belly where Yeul used to be, and in his half-awake state, that fact momentarily frightened him. He tried to search for her, which only led him to _thump_ing his tail against Vanille's table, rattling the dishes that were set stop it.

Vanille pivoted, startled, until she realized it was only him making the noise. With relief, she said, "You're awake. We didn't think you were going to wake up, it's nearly lunchtime now. Noel and Yeul left to gather supplies," she added knowingly, "They're due back soon."

Hope huffed in acknowledgement, and in relief. Of course, that made sense. Vanille went back to what she was doing, and he got up properly - without knocking anything over. He had a physical craving to go outside and hunt, but he sat. He wouldn't leave Vanille, not after that talk with Caius. Not ever. Whatever was going on, he had to protect her.

It took him a little longer than it should have to notice that she was avoiding him. She hadn't looked at him since he'd woken up, and was almost hugging the wall as she went about cooking. On the other side of the room.

_It's because I'm really human, isn't it?_

The thought came unbidden, but somehow he knew it was true. He nearly forgot sometimes, about his condition, that he had once been a boy. He remembered being a wolf more than he remembered being a man. But for Vanille, his second life was all she knew. She may have even felt a little betrayed by the information.

_If I could have told you..._

Outside, a dog - a real dog - barked, and e pivoted toward the sound out of habit. One thing he was unable to do was understand the language of his fellow canines, but he could read body language. So that's what he did. But this dog wasn't communicating with him, so he turned back around.

Vanille was looking at him.

Looking wasn't the right word...studying was more like it. She cast her gaze over him like she didn't know him. Which, he supposed, she didn't.

She almost hesitated. Then, "Did you have any brothers or sisters?"

He shook his head no in response, because that was the answer - although his mother had given birth to a stillborn little girl when he was eight. Her question didn't surprise him so much as the fact that she asked it in the first place. She had been avoiding him since those first few moments when he woke up, why now?

Then he saw that she was done cooking, she had no excuse to avoid him anymore.

"Me neither," she told him. From there, the questions poured from her mouth. Yes-or-no. Did he have any pets? Did he enjoy such-and-such activity? It was genuine, and it was nice. Hope had never shared so much about himself before, and he hadn't said a word. Maybe someday, she could tell her everything...

He did have to get creative when she finally asked, "How...how old were you?"

_How old was I?_

I was practically a baby, he wanted to say, a stupid kid who his behind his mother's skirt when something went wrong. I left home not because I wanted to, but because I was afraid of what my father would say, what he would do.

But he couldn't tell her that. So instead, he hit the floor with one of his massive paws, once for every year he lived before he was truly alive.

Vanille's eyes widened as he counted the final year, "Fourteen?" she whispered.

He nodded.

With hardly any time to absorb this, Vanille's shock was interrupted by the return of Noel and Yeul. The hunter was in a rather good mood, dropping his bag of freshly-bought supplies by the door with a smile on his face, "Hey, Vanille, we're back," he sniffed the air, "Lunch smells great."

She remembered herself with enough haste that Noel wouldn't suspect anything. Not that he would anyway, the man was practically walking on air. Hope was confused.

_Um...what's with him?_

Yeul took a seat beside him, radiating positive energy herself, _"He's really glad that we - well - that I'm really human. He said he always knew I was special that he hasn't been talking to himself all these years,"_ she let her eyes follow her companion, and Hope left something from her that she couldn't hide from him even if she tried. It seemed that Noel wasn't the only one happy about their arrangement.

* * *

As the day wore on, Vanille gradually warmed back up to Hope. She had just needed time to accept the truth of what he was - what he had been. He couldn't blame her of course, it took him months initially to come to terms with his current state. He wouldn't even hunt at first. He wasn't proud of it, but for the first few weeks, he stole food from people to survive. But he came to accept it, just as she did.

He lied partially under her table, resting his head comfortably on his paws. He watched Vanille as she tended the fire for the finale time that night. She was incredible, truly. The first to really accept him, even after learning the truth - which even he didn't fully know. Knowing he could understand her didn't turn her away, in fact, it may have been the reason she chose to open up to him in the first place. He was an intelligent animal who could understand her, yet not judge. At least out loud, not that he'd judged her in the slightest.

Hope had felt strangely connected to her since the moment they met. Perhaps it was due to some kind of fate, but it seemed more natural than that. She was just to kind, and gentle, and pretty...

When she finished her pre-bed routine, being careful not to wake the others - who were already asleep - she bid him goodnight with a smile. He caught a new light in her eyes, and that feeling he felt earlier from Yeul spread through his chest.

* * *

**Again, sorry for the long wait for this. Hopefully it was worth it! Probably not though. I don't know when this will update again, but like I said, keep an eye out for other things! I seem to be repeating myself a lot, so I'll stop now.**

**Reviews are appreciated. :)**


	12. Baring Your Fangs

**Author's Note: **Hey, guys! So, as of some point last month, this story has been running for a year! A whole year! Pretty crazy, huh? And if we're keeping track of stuff, it's also _77__ hand-written pages long._ 77! This chapter alone is 13 pages! (aka guys it's long so watch out)

And to answer your question, ClockMaker, yes, Yeul is Hope's great, great, great...I think that's all the greats...half-aunt. (I may be wrong, Avi and I figured that out last year, I can't remember exactly)

Speaking of Avi, Happy One-Year Anniversary of our story! (As of May 3rd, 2014. I looked it up.) I hope you like the chapter!

That goes for the rest of you, too! Enjoy! :)

* * *

Hope woke before the others the next morning, even before the sun. Assisted by the light of the blinking stars, he looked over his companions, sleeping soundly. His eyes lingered on Vanille for a few seconds longer, snuggled up in her prepared furs, worn from loving use, before nosing his way outside to fulfil a desire he'd been fighting for over a day.

He had to hunt.

The rest of the village was more accepting of him now, flashing far less weapons and allowing their children to play outside once more, yet he still slipped out stealthily - much like the ghost his legends claimed him to be. The villagers may have grown more used to him, but without Vanille, he was more threatening.

When he reached the forest, he took a deep, cleansing breath of the frigid air. He was home. These woods were his territory. Symbolically, at least. He never marked any borders, but it was universally understood among other wolves.

Well, except _her_.

The thrill of the hunt returned to him, running deeper than his bones as he almost immediately scented a doe - likely thinking herself safe in the early morning hours. He wouldn't normally pursue larger prey, but he was hungry, and burned to feel his own power. He began to prowl towards her, his paws puffing silently in the deep snow. The wind was in his favor, and she was clearly preoccupied by something. Surprise was on his side.

However, he soon realized what preoccupied the doe. A fawn clumsily tromped through the snow, trying to catch up with her. She was a mother. Odd, considering the time of year, and the young age of the fawn, but nonetheless true. He couldn't kill her. Or the baby. His stomach protested, but he turned and trotted in a different direction. He would find something else.

He did, after a time. The sun had finally risen as he snacked on the remains of a tricky little fox who had thought himself invincible, and got cocky. His arrogance got him killed in the end.

Victory was delicious.

When he was finished, he stuck his face in the snow to help clean the blood from his muzzle. The substance was glaringly obvious on his silvery fur, and he didn't need to give the villagers any more reason to hate him.

_"Hope!"_

Her voice was faint, and he didn't feel any flickers of emotion, so she clearly didn't know where he was. Assuming she was sent out to find him, Hope released a resounding _bark_ to aid her, and continued cleaning up after himself.

Yeul found him rather quickly, bounding nearly as clumsily as the fawn through the snow which was still too deep for her. She collapsed to the ground just in front of the bloodstains.

_"I found you!"_ she panted, _"Noel and Vanille want to talk about what to do next, she wants you there."_

_Of course._

Hope stood, shaking the snow out of his fur.

_"Umm...you have a little..." _Yeul reared up on her hind legs, trying to reach his head. He lowered it a little to make it easier for her. She lapped her paws onto his muzzle and licked the rest of the blood from between his eyes. She settled back down, satisfied.

_Thanks._

_"No problem, let's go!"_

The trek back to the village seemed much shorter than it should have been - but of course, this time, he wasn't hunting. People cast distrustful glares at him as they returned.

"Why do we have to do anything? Can't we just ignore what Caius said and keep living our lives?"

"That wouldn't be fair to Hope and Yeul. They used to be _people_, Vanille. They _are_ people. We have the chance to restore them, shouldn't we take it?"

Hope threw a glance at Yeul as they took a seat just inside the door. He didn't know about her, but he didn't see much benefit to being human again. Sure, he could talk, but he could make people understand him just fine. As a wolf, he was stronger, faster, he had more freedom.

But...

"I - I guess..."

"Exactly," Noel turned toward the dogs, looking more determined than ever, "I say we talk to Fang. She learned all about curses and magic from her grandmother, and she knows the whole country like the back of her hand."

Vanille looked Hope in the eyes, extremely nervous. If Caius was telling the truth, making him and Yeul human again would involve killing someone. Was she capable of that?

Noel turned back to her, "You in?"

She glanced up at him, then back to Hope, then once again to Noel. The silver wolf could practically see the wheels turning in her head, weighing the benefits against the cost. Eventually, she sighed.

"Yes."

* * *

Vanille stuck close to her guardian as they followed Noel and Yeul to Fang's house. It was the easiest trip they had taken, by far. Fang lived just off a well-used path, packed down by so many boots and hooves and paws. They were able to move at a more regular pace because of it, and reached the house in roughly an hour.

The first thing that caught Hope's eye was the aging brown wolf lying outside. Sazh? What was he doing here? Sleeping, it seemed, as he didn't look up when they approached.

"Lightning must be here," Noel observed, "That old dog follows her everywhere."

_"It's true,"_ Yeul confirmed.

The hunter knocked harshly on the door, calling into the house, "I know you're in there, Fang! Open up!"

Hope swore he heard Vanille mutter something about that being rude, which amused him.

Rude or not, it worked. The door opened seconds later, revealing a not-so-happy Fang, "What do you want, Kreiss?" Her mood visibly darkened when she saw the two wolves.

"Stop being so hostile, Fang," Noel said casually, "We're here for your valuable expertise."

Fang crossed her arms, and several strands of her dark hair fell into her face, "I'm listening."

"Well, it's a long story," he gestured, covering the four of them, "Can we come in?"

Instead of eyeing him and Yeul, like Hope assumed she would, Fang's gaze shifted to Vanille. She studied her, looked her up and down like some kind of object. Hope resisted the urge to growl protectively.

"You were at Lightning's place, right?" she finally asked.

"Y-yes," Vanille answered.

After a few more moments, Fang nodded, "You can come in," _now_ she glared at the wolves, "all of you."

The atmosphere in Fang's house was friendlier than she was. There was a nice warm fire burning in the hearth, and the house itself was rather spacious, much more so than Vanille's home, and rivaling that of Lightning and Serah's. The furniture was plain under the furs draped around for comfort, and clearly carved by an amateur. Various maps and weapons were hung up on the walls. Hope began to wonder why Fang was living in such a homey place all by herself, miles from anyone.

_"She didn't used to,"_ Yeul answered unexpectedly, causing Hope's heart to temporarily stop in surprise, _"Her husband built this house for her after they were exiled from their villages for being in love."_

Hope looked up at Fang as she led them to where Lightning was sitting.

_That's...awful. What happened to him?_

They all sat.

_"He was killed...by wolves..."_ Yeul lowered her head, _"That's why she hates us..."_

He felt her sadness, her grief for poor widowed Fang. For the first time in over a decade, Hope felt awful about being a wolf.

Fang crossed her legs as she leaned back in one of her late husband's chairs, waiting for Noel's "long story". Lightning remained silent as well, though she seemed genuinely surprised to be seeing them again. Or maybe just that Fang let wolves in her house.

Noel reached out and ran his fingers through the fur on Yeul's neck, which pleased her, "Well, it starts with her."

And so, he told the story. Yeul's birth, her mother's insistence that she was a threat. Her father's solution that turned her and eventually Hope into a wolf, everything Caius had told them. Fang remained straight-faced as she listened to the story, while Lightning looked rather shocked by the end. It was an...interesting pill to swallow.

"And that's where you come in," Noel finished, "You know more about this kind of magic than anyone else, not to mention how well you know the lay of the land. Will you help?"

Suddenly, what Hope could only assume were supposed to be images flashed through his mind. Greys, a glimpse of something white, a large silhouette. Then a spike of fear. Yeul.

_Yeul, what's going on?_

The images cleared up, just enough for him to understand what they were. The greys were rock walls, the white still indecipherable, the silhouette...a mountain?

_"I remember...I don't know where it is, but this is it... The cave where he left mother..."_

_How...how are you showing me this?_

She didn't answer, but the images kept looping. The cave, the mountain, the white light. What... Where...

He knew.

He knew that mountain.

He looked around the room, praying to the goddess that one of Fang's maps showed it, so they could know. He yearned for the ability to talk, but couldn't linger on something impossible. He had to find the mountain.

There!

"I don't see how I can help," Fang said, shrugging slightly, "You don't have any real facts for me to work with. I believe your story, but that old geezer really left you hanging."

"Well we can't do _nothing_, Fang. Yeul and Hope were people once, we can't just leave them like this knowing that we can help them."

"I'm sorry, I don't know what to say."

Feeling triumphant, Hope turned back to the others and barked. The first one caught Vanille's attention, the next three the other four.

"What is it?" Vanille asked, coming over to where he stood. Fang followed.

Hope pointed to the mountain with his nose, drawn very neatly with tender strokes. From additional notes written in various locations, he could tell that Fang hadn't drawn this map. Her style was much harsher, more to the point. It was most likely that her late husband drew it.

"A mountain?" Vanille's voice was streaked with intrigue as well as confusion. She's always lived in the valley, making the towering land masses a mystery to her.

"Gagazet..." Fang murmured.

"Gagazet?" Lighting repeated, "Is there something special about it?"

"There might be..."

Fang quickly disappeared into another room, where she could be heard ruffling through things and opening/shutting what were likely storage containers.

"What's her problem?" Noel asked, turning to Lighting.

"I...don't know," she answered, perplexed, "There must be something she knows about Gagazet. It's just a mountain to me."

Hope felt a small body join him in front of the hand-drawn map on the wall, and knew it was Yeul. He had grown to recognize her presence in the past several days. She felt numb, and her ancient green eyes were fixated on the mountain she hadn't remembered she knew.

_"Mother..."_

Hope very gently hit her with his tail to let her know that he understood. This curse had separated him from his own mother - though not in the same way. He missed her terribly, even now.

_It'll be alright, Yeul..._

Fang returned nearly as quickly as she left, with what was likely another map in her hands. She cleared off a small table, her raven hair falling out of place as she moved.

She pointed vigorously to a spot on the paper, "Here. This is it."

The rest of them had barely gathered to look when she continued, "There was a village here until about thirty-five years ago, when it burned down. Just a few miles away, and up the mountain a little," she moved her finger to a new location on the map, "is a cave."

"How do you know this is the right one?"

"Because, Kreiss, the only other caves are several days away, or on the other side of the mountain. This is it. This is where you want to go."

"But," Vanille piped up, "what do we do once we get there?"

Oddly, Fang nodded at the wolves, "They'll know."

Hope turned his gaze to Yeul, who - he realized - was his several-greats aunt. He had absolutely no clue what to do, not even a hint of an idea. But he was very calm about this. So was she, he found. Maybe somewhere inside, they _did _know what to do.

Yeul flicked her ears in confirmation: they could do this.

Noel began to study the map, "Can we take this? We don't know the mountain."

Fang nodded, "Go ahead. But I have to warn you, it's dangerous to go on a journey like this. There's only two of you, you don't have any supplies, and you don't know where you're going."

Noel shrugged, "You know me, we'll figure something out."

She scoffed.

Vanille looked up at her human companion, hesitation in her flawless eyes, "Noel, what _are_ we going to do? I don't know anything about traveling in the mountains, and you yourself said you don't know the area..."

Her ghost nuzzled his head against her side in comfort, allowing her to pet his head.

_I'll protect you...no matter what..._

He could feel Yeul's grin, even though he couldn't see her. He thwapped her with his tail; she yipped.

"Don't worry. It's like I said, we'll figure something out."

All of their reassurances didn't seem to help curb her uneasiness, which wasn't surprising. At some point while they were talking, Lightning had begun to examine the map. Now, she looked up at them, "We'll come with you. Serah and I."

That shocked everyone.

"You will?" Noel asked, perplexed.

"Yes. This area here," she indicated section of the valley near the base of the mountain, almost directly below the cave, "is where Serah rescued Snow when he was a cub. She used to spend a lot of time foraging there, she'll know the best route to Gagazet."

"Are you serious?" Fang said incredulously.

Lightning gave her a look that was borderline cold, "We owe Hope a great deal. Snow attacked him while trying to protect us, if you recall. We might not be able to help restore him, but leading them up the mountain is the least we can do."

Hope bowed his head to her.

_Thank you._

* * *

Lightning had left hours ago to get Serah and Snow, and to gather supplies. Noel decided to go with her, leaving all three wolves and Vanille behind. Fang agreed to let them stay, though the wolves were forced outside. That was alright with them, it was freer in the open.

Yeul was curled up with Sazh on the porch; the old dog had only woken up briefly during their entire visit. The two were peacefully asleep.

Hope sat a little ways from the house, feeling the breeze in his fur, and smelling the frozen world around him. He listened to the sounds of flora and fauna alike, dug into the snow with his paws. He drunk it all in. He wanted to appreciate this curse - ironic as it was - for as long as he could.

After a while, he heard the door open behind him. A very familiar fragrance filled his nose as Vanille joined him. Even when he was sitting, he was still rather tall, so there was no reason for her to sit as well. She stood beside him, rubbing the space between his ears.

"I was about to head to sleep, but I thought I would say goodnight first."

Hope turned his head just enough to look at her face, and saw her looking up at the darkening sky. The sight put him at peace. The wonder in her eyes was like that of a child: innocent and beautiful.

She looked back at him, "So, goodnight..."

_Goodni-_

And she kissed him on the nose.

Every inch of Hope's skin was aflame as she whispered, "I'll do whatever it takes to break this curse on you."

The legend still burned long after she returned inside.

* * *

**Obvious FFX reference is obvious I hope. :)**

**I think this is the longest chapter I've written...ever. Hopefully that excuses it taking so long...? No? Okay...**

**I rrreeeaaalllyyy hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next one is my favorite, and also shorter, so it won't take as long to write! (Or so I plan. But you know me.)**

**::SPECIAL THANKS::**

**to all of you for sticking with me this long! Seriously, it means so darn much to me that you think this story is worth following, and for over a year! Hopefully I provide good content for you, because I certainly try! Here's to the rest of the story! *toasts a glass of water with my computer, which is actually a bad idea don't do that***

**LOVE (I tried to put a heart but it won't let me so this is symbolically a heart)**

**Cocoon02**


	13. Dreaming Of Crystal Nightmares

**Author's Note:** Hi! Sorry for the wait...again... Will I ever stop apologizing? Probably not. Because I'll always take forever to get anything done.

Anyway, this one is a bit shorter than usual, but it is more of a fluffy chapter, so I hope you enjoy. :3

(Also, ten more pointless points to anyone who gets what the title references. Avi, don't spoil it! ;) ;) She came up with all the chapter titles, a little trivia fact)

* * *

Chapter Thirteen - Dreaming Of Crystal Nightmares

_Hope ran through the woods on two legs, pushing through foliage that whipped and cut him, trying to get away. As such, it took him a little while to notice._

_He was running on two legs._

_Not four legs._

_Two._

_He was human again._

_This realization was momentary, as he almost immediately looked to his right and saw a little red fox running beside him. The fox paid him no mind, but ran with the same necessity and ferocity as he._

_Next he turned his gaze to the left, and saw another human running alongside him. A girl,_

Yeul.

_who equally ignored him. Her long, purple-silver hair quickly became tangled and matted with leaves that fell like years upon her. Yet she did not slow down._

_The trio fled through the forest for decades, running but failing to run from their pursuer. It chased them just as relentlessly as they tried to hide._

_Then suddenly, Yeul began to glow. A bright, blinding light, before crystal started to grow up her arms, beginning at her fingertips and slowly encasing her. She kept running as long as she could, not appearing to notice._

_Facing forward for what would be the final time, Hope was confronted by another woman, whom he knew to be Etro. She had the same gentle face as her daughter, but her eyes were colder than eyes and harder than stone. She opened her arms to him - her siren's song. He took one mesmerized step forward, then another, and another as a different, warmer light began to build up around her._

_The little red fox - who had remained at his side the whole time - yelped. It leaped out in front of him as Etro's light was released. The poor brave fox was hit, and fell - dead - at Hope's feet._

* * *

The ghost stirred, huffing away the snow that had built up around his nose. A bit groggy still, he lifted up his head, looking out at the valley: his home.

It had been several days, and the group was about halfway up a gentle slope that led to the base of the mountain. It had been a slower trip than they'd hoped, though it did help that Sazh and Snow were pulling a wagon they'd loaded with supplies. The slow progress, though, did give them time to reflect on what they were doing, and the fact that they had no idea what that was.

Hope stood, shaking off any sleeping stiffness and snow. Suddenly aware of the biting cold and more awake, he pushed his way into Vanille's text, doing his best to paw it shut again so she didn't freeze. Satisfied, he turned around and lied back down next to Vanille, watching her sleep. If he was honest with himself, he really didn't know why he was in her tent. He just...he had this sense of foreboding, like something was wrong, or something was about to happen...

Her guardian shifted a paw closer to her hand, loose from her cocoon of blankets. Thinking - maybe imagining - that it looked a little blue, he covered her delicate hand with his powerful paw.

Her face crinkled.

"H-Hope..." she whimpered, unconsciously rolling over towards him. He could practically smell her fear as her whimpering continued; he figured she must've been having a nightmare. His sense of foreboding grew. Suddenly, he was afraid she was going to die. He tried to convince himself it was just paranoia compounded by her current fear. but it didn't comfort him. He pressed the top of his muzzle gently to her cheek, hoping to be able to at least comfort her.

That...didn't work so well, either.

Almost as soon as he touched her, she woke up. When she saw him she burst into tears and flung her free arm around his neck, leaving the other one underneath his paw.

"I...I thought..." she sobbed.

Hope wanted almost desperately to be able to hold her, to really hold her, to make her feel safe. But he couldn't. Irrationally angry with himself, he snuggled closer to her, hoping it was enough.

_Don't be afraid, Vanille...I'm here..._

And that's where he'd stay, right by her side.

_I'll protect you..._


	14. Wherever The Wind Blows

**Author's Note:** Here I am, apologizing again. *grimace* Sorry! I've been in a huge fanfic slump, and school's pretty crazy, soooo... Excuses, excuses, I know.

Anyway!

We're really climbing the mountain now (literally and figuratively) so I hope it was worth the wait! Love you guys for sticking with me! :3

* * *

Chapter Fourteen - Wherever The Wind Blows

When they reached the base of the mountain, the wind was busy playfully building snowy mountains of its own. Some of the drifts nearly rivaled Noel in height. The group trudged along by and around them, further up the mountain, until poor old Sazh flopped to the ground in exhaustion, little Chocolina flapping her wings and twitting at him to get up. Snow joined his canine companion, using him as a pillow and contentedly smacking his tail into the snow a few times. Serah giggled, petting her protector.

Lightning dropped her pack on the ground, clearly seeing no point in carrying it if they weren't going anywhere. But after she did that, nobody moved. Everyone stayed put, waiting for someone else to suggest striking off again. Now that they were on the mountain, where they supposed to go?

Hope looked over at Yeul, praying that maybe she would have a clue. After all, it was her premonition that led them to the mountain in the first place. But she was silent, looking over the mountain with a kind of bittersweet serenity.

It crossed Hope's mind that maybe going further up was a good idea. In fact, he was about to make this known, when there was a subtle shift in the wind. A gentle tug on his fur to the east. He followed it for a few steps, tasting the air for some kind of clue.

**_"This way..."_**

He froze. For a moment, he was a standing corpse.

That wasn't Yeul.

A part of him, however, felt that he should listen. Shaking loose the snow that was piling up on his fur, he turned fractionally to the others and barked, hoping it came across as, "Follow me." He started moving again versus checking to see if they comprehended his meaning, a little paranoid that he might lose his sudden sense of direction.

Yeul caught up with him first, slowly coming into his peripheral vision to the left, followed by Vanille in nearly the same breath on his other side. The others followed suit.

They traveled on for an hour or so, all the while finding nothing. Snowdrifts shifted like waves down the mountain, no doubt responsible for the illusion that they were moving faster than they actually were. They were dripping with sweat from exertion, overly warm in the sharp cold.

"Do you think we're nearly there?" Vanille asked, shivering in a sudden gust of frigid wind. Keeping one hand holding fast to Hope's fur, she used the other to pull her coat tighter around her. Hope wasn't sure, he just kept following his instincts. In fact...he stopped, nudging Vanille with his nose to make sure she didn't go any further. Yeul whined.

_"You feel it, too?"_

He nodded.

Paper ruffled; Hope turned his head and saw Noel struggling with the map Fang gave them, he had to lay it across Sazh's back and hold it down to keep it from flying away, "Damnit, this thing is useless. There's no way to tell where we are."

"Quiet!" Lightning hissed, looking around at the animals. Sazh and Snow seemed to have noticed too, because the big cat was waving his tail in agitation, and his ears were pricked very intently. The older wolf kept looking back in the general direction of home; even Chocolina wasn't chirping about, she was sitting on Sazh's head, doing her best to bury herself in his fur.

Serah understood immediately, and clapped one heavily gloved hand over her mouth. Noel took a moment, then pointed up the mountains and mimed the disaster with his hands.

Everyone nodded.

The air was thick with tension now, and after a few minutes of silent deliberation, they crawled forward much slower than before. Better to be safe than sorry.

Being safe was unbearable. None of them breathed, and for Hope, each placement of his paws was slow and very deliberate. He was undoubtedly heavier than any of his companions, and he didn't want to be the cause of any of them getting hurt.

Especially Vanille.

Despite his senses being on highest alert, he was completely surprised, in the next moment, by a fox that darted from behind a large snowdrift and sprinted right past them.

Vanille yelped in surprise.

Several things happened in that moment, and likely more than he was aware of. First, everything stopped. The air, the snow, the sounds of the few spottedf birds flying above. Second, everyone scattered.

Then all hell broke loose.

All Hope remembered of the next several minutes was the bass rumble of the avalanche and bodily shoving Vanille out of the way of danger. He couldn't watch her die again; not for him, not for anything. He knew he would rather die than live in a world where he'd let her get hurt.

As the snow and rocks cascaded down around them, Hope forced himself to stay mostly upright and in place, keeping Vanille safely beneath him. She clung to his legs, and somewhere beneath the roaring, Hope thought he heard a painful yowl from Snow. With a pang, he realized that he had completely forgotten everyone else. What if they died? What if-

A giant boulder crashed into his side, sending him flying and ripping him away from Vanille. He was sure he was in pain, but anything he should have been feeling was dwarfed by blind panic. He pathetically flailed in the rushing snow, struggling to get back on his feet. As the snow carried him away, he grew more and more desperate, until a kind of fire burned in his stomach. He shoved his way through the loose fluff, pushing heavily with his paws, and - not noticing that the avalanche had ended as swiftly as it had come - made his way back to where he thought he left Vanille.

Heart racing faster than his paws would ever be able to go, he barked frantically and dug several holes, perhaps ignorantly refusing to believe that she got carried away, buried where he would never find her.

After seemingly countless minutes with no results, not even a whiff of her soft scent, Hope let out a furious howl of frustration. She couldn't die, not now. He'd give up trying to be human if she could just be okay.

He howled again, but stopped abruptly when he heard another cry; deeper, more desperate. A cry blacker than a moonless night. Hope's heart stopped.

Someone was dead.

Hope looked around and saw Sazh further down the mountain. His insides suddenly weighed several tons. There was a massive rock in the way, maybe the one that gave Hope the injuries he still couldn't feel, so he couldn't see who they'd lost. He padded over slowly; dread clouded his eyes as he pictured the corpses of all of his companions, one by one.

_Please not Vanille...please..._

As he came to a rest beside the greying wolf, he was momentarily confused. He didn't see a body.

Scarcely a second later, he noticed the blood.

It wasn't much. He's cleaned more from his jaws after a mid-winter rabbit. Yet still, it was too much. Lying exorbitantly still next to a bloodstain smaller than the sandy she-wolf's paws, a bundle of yellow feathers, was Chocolina.

A very guilty part of Hope was relieved, even as Sazh let out another guilt-stricken howl. The poor little bird didn't deserve her fate, it was cruel that her life had to end before it began. But, as far as his calming senses could tell, she was the only one. Everyone else was fine.

Even as he thought that, snow crunched behind them. Hope turned to see Lightning and Vanille walking toward them, both looking a bit battered and shaken, but otherwise unharmed. His tail gave an involuntary thump of joy, she really was fine.

Vanille practically collapsed onto his neck when she reached him, holding tight and breathing heavily. He was able to crane enough to rest his head gently against hers.

"I thought you'd died..." she whispered.

Hope gave a soft _woof._

_It's alright now..._

Next to them, Lightning had placed her hand comfortingly upon her pet's head, who had fallen against her, whining pitifully.

Serah and Snow hiked up from somewhere in front of them. Snow seemed to already understand the situation, as he padded over and curled around Sazh in a kind of hug, and started licking his fur. Serah's eyes quickly locked onto the little body, and she gasped. If they hadn't just survived a natural disaster it would be prudent to ask what happened. As it was, they stood in respectful silence, listening to Sazh mourn his best friend.

A pile of snow near them shuddered, and Noel and Yeul erupted from it, shaking the white fluff from themselves. Noel checked her over to make sure she wasn't hurt; Yeul licked his hand. She struggled a bit in the deep snow, but managed to slog her way over to the rest of them. She nuzzled her head into Sazh's shoulder.

_"Her spirit is safe..."_

Hope wasn't sure how she knew that, or how she communicated that to the brown wolf, but he looked comforted.

Suddenly, Noel spoke.

"Uh...guys?"

They all followed Noel's outstretched hand upward, where they saw something that made them think the avalanche wasn't so much a result of human error. A cave entrance had been revealed. Yeul whined and stuck her head between Sazh's legs upon seeing strange symbols carved into the stone around it.

Hope'd ears flicked forward; he heard whispers on the wind.

"This is it," Lightning breathed.


End file.
